Now 40, Manny Pacquiao’s life should be just beginning. But Adrien Broner, at 29, feels he’s the one at the crossroads, calling his duel with the Filipino ring icon a tipping point in his career.
“I always knew that one day I will be having fights like this,” Broner said in a report by Philboxing. “Honestly, I thought [Pacquiao] would be done with boxing by now but I always knew I would have a fight of this magnitude on this platform, pay-per-view and all, and now I’m here.”
That’s why Broner is preparing furiously for the fight, expecting to face “the best Pacquiao” on Jan. 19 in Las Vegas.
Broner has carved his own niche in boxing for his undeniable talent. His boxing style—counterpunches, shoulder roll and all—mimics that of the great Floyd Mayweather Jr., the man who Pacquiao is really eyeing.
But the flashy, hard-partying American has a dark past: He had faced assault charges before, missed the weight for fights and is known to thrash-talk opponents.
However, on Wednesday in Miami, the 29-year-old Broner (33-3-1 with 24 knockouts) hosted an open workout where he made it apparent to media people present that he has nothing but respect for Pacquiao.
Broner calls the bout “the biggest fight of my life.”
Training thrice a day and holding his workout right at the famed Fifth Street Gym, where Muhammad Ali once trained, Broner brushed off the fact that his opponent just turned 40.
He said his focus was laser-like and wasn’t letting the pulsating Miami nightclub scene distract him.
“I’m not focused on the clubbing and stuff, all that stuff will be here after the fight,” he said. “I don’t care about stopping him or whether it’s a unanimous decision, as long as I’m victorious.”
His chief trainer, Kevin Cunningham, offered a more specific fight plan.
“We’ve studied tons of Pacquiao footage and he pretty much fights the same every fight,” Cunningham was quoted as saying. “Manny’s a rhythm fighter and it’s about getting his rhythm.”