Broner promises knockout of Theophane
— -- If junior welterweight titleholder Adrien Broner is uptight about his precarious legal situation as he heads into his first defense, he sure isn't showing it.
Broner was his typical brash self on Wednesday at the final news conference to promote his first title defense against fringe contender Ashley Theophane in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card Friday night (Spike, 9 ET) at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.
"I will be puttin' on a show on Friday night and on Saturday night if he want to get up and fight again," Broner said. "I'm gonna keep my promise. I will stop him. I'm going to stop him. Listen, I can't predict the future. I don't know if it's gonna be the first round or second, third or fourth. I don't give a f--- if it's the eighth, I will stop you. And that's my promise. I will stop this man."
Broner, a four-division world titleholder from Cincinnati but with close ties to Washington, will face Theophane despite there being warrants out for his arrest on felony assault and aggravated robbery charges in Cincinnati in connection to an incident during the early morning hours of Jan. 21, when he is accused of assaulting a man and robbing him of $12,000 at gunpoint outside of a bowling alley. Broner, 26, allegedly lost the money to the victim during a night of high-stakes betting on bowling games, knocked him unconscious outside the bowling alley after a confrontation and took the money.
Broner, who the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission plans to license despite the warrants, only briefly addressed the charges in general terms. Instead he mostly laughed and smiled during the press conference.
He also poked fun at Floyd Mayweather, the retired superstar whose company is one of the promoters of the card (although he missed the news conference), expressed his joy to be fighting in Washington and lauded the undercard.
In the scheduled 10-round co-feature, blue-chip lightweight prospect Robert Easter Jr. (16-0, 13 KOs), 25, of Toledo, Ohio, who is very close to Broner, will take a significant step up in competition when he faces former junior lightweight titleholder Argenis Mendez (23-3-1, 12 KOs), 29, a New York-based Dominican Republic native. In the 10-round televised opener, 21-year-old Baltimore lightweight prospect Gervonta Davis (14-0, 13 KOs) will face Guillermo Avila (16-5, 13 KOs), 23, of Mexico.
"I love DC. The crowd and the love on Friday night is going to be crazy," Broner said. "I took this camp to the max. I am going to exploit and showcase all of my talent.
"I know it's going to be an electrifying atmosphere with a huge crowd. I'm coming to put on a show. I know that Ashley Theophane is coming to win. He's not coming to lay down, but we're ready for anything he can bring."
Broner (31-2, 23 KOs) claimed a vacant junior welterweight belt by 12th-round knockout of Russia's Khabib Allakhverdiev on Oct. 3 in Cincinnati in a fight Broner dominated. But it was a surprise that Broner got the title opportunity because he was coming off a poor performance in a unanimous decision loss to former welterweight titleholder Shawn Porter in June.
"Everybody has bad nights. The Porter fight was just one of my bad nights. But we're back on track," said Broner, whose other defeat came when Marcos Maidana dropped him twice and dished out a beating in a one-sided decision in December 2013. "We're back to being a world champion and I will stay champion after [Friday]. It's going to be a fantastic show."
Broner, who has a friendly rivalry with Mayweather, whom he refers to as his "big brother," said he wants to beat Theophane because he is promoted by Mayweather.
"Floyd knows I can beat his fighter," Broner said. "At the end of the day, he's doing what's best for his fighter and that's getting him a title shot. Boxing is always a punch away from a victory. Everybody has a chance to win but I know I will be victorious."
Theophane (39-6-1, 11 KOs), 35, of England, is based in Las Vegas and trains at Mayweather's gym and gives him credit for helping him in recent years.
"Mayweather Promotions believed in me from the very start and they flew with me in the deep end," Theophane said. "I have improved from being around Floyd, and watching him. You have to improve with being around him -- the best fighter of all time. You have to improve."
Friday's fight will be Theophane's first world title shot as he looks for his seventh consecutive victory.
"My career shows that if you believe in yourself and never give up, you will get your opportunity. At that point, it's just up to you to take it," Theophane said. "I feel I will be able to match him come fight night. I know I'm the big underdog, I know I'm not being given the chance to win, but I really believe we are going to prove the doubters wrong and be world champ come [Friday]."
With all the attention that Broner commands, Theophane has been largely overlooked in the lead-up to the fight but the former British champion said he is going to give it all he has.
"It has been a journey, but we're here now," Theophane said at the press conference. "Just two days away. We've got two days and then the champ and me are going to go to war. I'm here to make this happen. Broner can play games, it's all good. I'm here on a mission.
"I'm ready. We're so close and I really just can't wait to hear that bell. Adrien says he's going to stop me. I don't think he has the attributes to do that. But it does mean it's going to be a great fight. I'm looking forward to it."
Although Theophane has six defeats, he has never been knocked out. He said Broner won't be able to deliver on his promise of a knockout.
"The hard work is done. We've been training for months," Theophane said. "My trainer, Nate Jones, has helped to get me into great shape. We have a great game plan and we're ready to go. I want this man [Broner] to live up to his words that he's going to stop me before round four. Because that means he will be standing and fighting instead of running around the ring.
"A win means everything to me. It changes my life. This is my boyhood dream. This could lead me to all the other big names. I've trained for 12 hard rounds. We're going to do this."
While Theophane dreams of the upset victory, Broner wants to get the fight over with and head home with his title intact.
Then he will deal with the serious charges he faces. He will eventually turn himself into Cincinnati police, as his attorney has arranged for him to do.
"I just want to get home to Cincinnati and hold my baby daughter for the first time," said Broner, a father yet again. "I want to hold and hug my kids and be the family guy. Right now I'm at work. I have to do what I have to do, but after pain it's pleasure."
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