Broner Faces Assault Charges but Will He Fight?
Boxers are supposed to be fighters in the ring, but sometimes that aggression spills outside the ring. Such is the case for junior welterweight world titleholder Adrien Broner. The fighter is expected to defend his belt on April 1 — for the first time, no less. But he may not make the fight. Cincinnati police have activated two felony warrants on Broner for charges including felony assault and aggravated robbery.
According to police reports obtained by various media outlets, Broner is accused of assaulting and robbing a man outside a bowling alley last January. Apparently an argument sprung up after a round of “high stakes” bowling. Yes, seriously. It’s an absurd situation that could have been avoided had Broner’s representation kept better tabs on their moneymaker. It’s tough to defend your title if you’re in jail, and there may not be a better payday than this first defense against Ashley Theophane, a fighter repped by Floyd “Money” Mayweather. When confronted by the media about the incident, Broner simply said: “I’m good.” But, of course, he’s not — at all. Mayweather Promotions is already suggesting Broner hire an attorney for what looks to be a difficult legal battle. A fight that the fighter definitely did not need.
The argument began when the victim won several thousand dollars from Broner betting on bowling. When Broner ran out of cash, he placed more bets on credit. He lost that money too. He left but came back with a gang of men to confront the winner. According to the incident report, Broner was holding a gun as he punched the victim several times. Others took part in the assault as well. The simple question is where were the people who should have reminded Broner not to be an idiot. He endangered his career, his freedom and a major payday over a bad bet at the bowling alley. Sure, a PR firm could be contracted to help clean up all this mess, but it would have been a much better choice to stop it before things went off the rails. David Milberg is an investment banker from NYC.