Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
On Saturday, February 17, 2017, Adrien Broner (33-2-0, 24 KOs) won a very tight split decision against Adrian Granados (18-5-2, 12 KOs) at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati. The 10-round bout was the main event of a three fight broadcast by Showtime Boxing.
This was an action packed fight card. There were knockouts, knock-downs, illegal blows, brand-new champions crowned, new stars made and controversies of plenty.
Here are five things we learned from Showtime Boxing.
1. Adrian Granados Is Good for Boxing
Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
Adrien Broner and Adrian Granados waged an all out 10-round war in the main event Saturday on Showtime, in which Broner edged out a very close split-decision victory from Cintas Center at Xavier University in his hometown of Cincinnati.
This fight didn’t shine much new light on Broner, but it appears that even in defeat a new boxing star has been born in his opponent Granados.
Granados came to fight every single round as he pressured Broner and kept up an exciting pace. Granados was in shape and well-collected, whereas his opponent, Broner could be seen having a near mild heart attack at each break in action.
Granados was the busier fighter, throwing 683 compared to 403 total punches for Broner. Although, he was the least accurate of the two, as Broner connected at a 41 percent rate and Granados at a 21 percent rate.
Someone like Granados is good for the sport of boxing. He’s a very likeable and relatable kid. Granados is humble, hard working, he has paid his fair share of dues, and he doesn’t seem to back down from anyone.
Post fight, in an interview with Jim Gray, Broner attempted to deliver his typical comedy act, which however seemed to fail miserably due to his notable fatigue.
While Broner attempted to make more delight of the decision referring to it as, “easy work” for himself, a clearly disappointed Granados stepped closer to make his presence felt.
Granados calmly, but firmly, explained that he disagreed with the decision explaining. “I knew it wasn’t a pretty fight but I’m thankful to my team,” said Granados.
“You already know, there were all types of games that they played with me. We had to change the weights. We had to change the scale. They are just playing all kind of games. I just want to be treated fairly. I understand, I don’t have a perfect record, but I can beat any of these guys. You have seen the scorecards–split decision. Come on. Give me another one, let’s do it again. I can’t wait to watch this fight, because I know I won. Come to my house. He fought smart and did his thing. If he thinks he did it this time, let’s do it again. Let’s do it in my house. Come to Chicago.”
Granados, even in a close defeat, was a class act. He was a true warrior and there is no doubt that he earned a massive amount of new fans on Saturday night.
2. Who Wears Short Shorts? Lamont Peterson, That’s Who!
Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
Lamont Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs) narrowly beat WBA “regular” Welterweight title holder David Avanesyan (22-2-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round fight by unanimous decision to become a two-division champion.
He also perhaps may have been the first boxer of this decade to do so in Daisy Dukes.
However great of shape Peterson’s legs did appear to be in, most viewers were still left highly confused by this new choice of trunk style.
My brother Lamont left his trunks at home because he’s fighting in his drawers right now. I know he feel that draft!@ShowtimeBoxing
— Jamel Herring (@JamelHerring) February 19, 2017
The old school style of trunks were worn by some of the great fighters in our history and while I appreciate the homage being paid from Peterson, I was also highly worried he could be one slip or large breeze away from a highly awkward wardrobe malfunction.
Hey Lamont, John Stockton called and he wants his shorts back, please go back to your normal trunks.
3. Boxing Has Rules for a Reason
Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
In the second round of their fight, the undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian, Marcus Browne (19-0, 14 KOs), scored a knockdown with a straight right sending his opponent Thomas Williams Jr. (20-3, 14 KOs) to a knee.
Browne illegally unloaded a left hook on Williams to the back of his head while he was on his knee. After some confusion, referee Ken Miliner correctly deducted a point from Browne and gave Williams five minutes to rest. Williams nearly took the full five minutes allowed but never seemed the same when he continued.
The fight proceeded and Williams courageously attempted to remain conpetitive in the fight as best as he could. However, in the beginning of sixth round, Williams had taken all he could bare.
Williams appeared to be out of gas early in the fight. His wild “bombs away” fighting style was picked apart early by the effective jab and straight one-two combinations of Browne.
The fight ended early in the sixth round courtesy of a right hook from Browne which sent Williams down to the canvas with a injured jaw. Williams was unable to rise to his feet to meet the 10-second count by the referee and the fight was stopped.
It is hard to say just how much the unfair punch to the back of the head affected Williams’ ability to fight or if Williams’ own conditioning and wild-slugger fight style was actually responsible for his ineffectiveness.
Either way, blows to the back of the head are serious. Williams is truly lucky to only have left this fight with injury to his jaw rather than severe brain damage.
Blows to the back of head, blows when in a fighter is down and late blows after the bell are typically treated by referees with a warning, a point deduction and even more rarely a fight disqualification. A fighter hit in this fashion is defenseless and thus the related injuries can be absolutely devastating.
A fight like Williams vs. Browne makes one question if these punishments for illegal blows are really enough to stop them from happening? Because it seems like they occur much too frequently.
4. Clarissa Shields Is Pure Gold!
Photo by Hogan Photos
Brian Custer interviewed the recently turned pro-boxer, Clarissa Shields, who is the only American Olympic boxer ever to win two gold medals.
She is already a rising star in the boxing world and is also, a straight-up boss and showed it on Saturday night.
During a Showtime television interview, Shields opened her Michael Kors purse and removed both of her Olympic medals as casual as one might take out their chapstick.
“I cannot believe that,” said Custer as he became stammered for words at what he just witnessed. “So, you walk around with the gold medals?”
“Yeah, I keep my gold medals on me all the time,” said a cheerful Shields.
An inquisitive Custer responded, “Tell me why?”
“Well if anyone ever questions me, or who I am, or what I do, or say that I don’t have two Olympic gold medals or that I am the only American to do so, I just pull them out like I got it to prove it! These are mine, I won them! I fought for these,” exclaimed Shields.
Clarissa Shields is a boss! It is so likeable how even in the spotlight of boxing fame she remains true to herself.
5. The Welterweight Division Is Stacked With Talent
Photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
On Saturday night, in his first Welterweight, Lamont Peterson beat David Avanesyan by unanimous decision after a 12-round battle.
The 147-pound division is one of the most competitive and lucrative divisions in boxing. One would think Peterson should look to compete with some of the biggest names in the division for his next bout.
Keith Thurman owns the other piece of the WBA Welterweight title and thus, a unification bout could be made between them in the future. Thurman, however, first is set to face Danny Garcia on March 4.
A unification matchup between Thurman or a rematch and unification with Garcia, both at their new weight division, could be very likely either for Peterson.
When asked if he would like to face the winner of Thurman and Garcia, Peterson seemed up for the task. “Anyone in the Welterweight division, I’m up for it,” said Peterson.
The Welterweight division is one of the deepest and most exciting divisions in all of boxing and by adding Peterson to the mix, it just became a little sweeter.
What were your favorite moments from Saturday night? Let us know with a comment below!
