Weaknesses for Each Man
Photo by Naoki Fukada
Adrien Broner
People often compare Adrien Broner’s style to the likes of Floyd Mayweather. I find this to be a fairly shallow observation, but if there is one thing the two have in common, it’s that being against the ropes is not a good look for either of them. Broner is at his best in the center of the ring and when he is backing his opponent into a corner.
One of the worst mistakes Broner could make with Molina is retreating to the ropes on purpose, and hoping the Philly shell will save him. If he retreats, Molina will be ruthless, and Broner will pay the price.
Broner should also be strategic in his handling of an aggressor like Molina. He tends to take his time figuring out his opponent in the earlier rounds, meaning he typically doesn’t throw high volumes of punches starting off. This would be an ideal tactic if Molina was a pure boxer, but he is the complete opposite. Molina will want to fight, so Broner cannot settle for standing in place, and leaning back on that dreadfully flat right foot. Figuring out Molina should not take very long, but Broner will need to keep his activity level up, and chin down in the mean time.
John Molina
John Molina’s style is one that clearly comes off as untamed and primitive. One downside to the lack of sophistication in Molina’s style is his inability to make his strengths as effective as they could be with a few simple boxing principles.
For example, Molina severely underutilizes his jab. He packs a lot of power in his right hand, but he could set it up much better, as well other punches, by using his jab.
Also, Molina has a terrible habit of fighting with his hands down, and dropping them even further when an opponent is pushing him backwards. Bottom line is Molina is cut from a brawling cloth. Broner packs power, but he’s not going to exchange with Molina the way he wants him to.
This is often a source of frustration for pure fighters when they meet pure boxers. Molina’s wild style is made for more competitive bouts against similar guys like Lucas Matthysse. Molina should know going into the ring that Broner is a different kind of animal. He’s going to make this a difficult fight for him, and not in the way Molina is used to.
