Adrien Broner A No-Show at Own Press Conference

Saturday morning was supposed to be the formal announcement of Adrien Broner vs. Bill Hutchinson before a small group of media reporters at New York New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, adjacent to the site of tonight’s Davis vs. Garcia card at the T-Mobile Arena.

Breakfast was served. Roughly an hour and three minutes after the press conference was initially supposed to start, NYFights was informed Broner wouldn’t show up.

The former four-division world champion will battle Hutchinson of Pittsburgh in the main event of a Don King Promotions show Friday, June 9, at Casino Miami. Their 10-round, 147-pound fight will not take place on Pay-Per-View as originally planned. King is working to have the fight placed on “free tv.”

This is all the boxing media saw of Adrien Broner at Saturday’s morning press conference in Las Vegas. Photo: Gayle Falkenthal, NY Fights

We happened to be standing directly next to Hutchinson when we learned of Broner’s absence and grabbed his instant reaction.

“Hopefully he shows up June 9, right? Because the reality is that I will be prepared, and I’m going to win this fight,” he said exclusively to NYFights moments before he stepped on the stage to formally begin the press conference. “I took this fight for one reason and one reason alone; I’m going to win.

“I came here today to make sure that you and all the other press were wildly aware of that. Apparently, he doesn’t feel the need to be here. That’s on him. It’s a little bit embarrassing.”

Broner vs Hutchison

No one should take pleasure in Adrien Broner’s downfall, but no one can save him except himself. Photo: Showtime Boxing

Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs) has not fought since February 2021, when he controversially outpointed Jovanie Santiago over 12 rounds at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. “The Problem” was supposed to headline a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader against Omar Figueroa Jr. last August 20 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The Cincinnati native pulled out the week of the fight citing mental health issues.

Hutchinson (20-2-4, 9 KOs), who has won 10 fights in a row, is a practicing attorney. During the press conference, the 34-year-old Hutchinson offered Broner a “former opponent discount” if he finds himself in additional legal trouble following their fight.

Trouble History for Former Champion Broner

His enablers need to remove Adrien Broner’s safety net and make him win the bigger fight against his demons. Photo: Amanda Wescott, Showtime Boxing

The 33-year-old Broner, of Cincinnati, Ohio, has a long rap sheet. In October 2021, he was thrown in jail for failing to enroll in an alcohol treatment program as part of his court-ordered probation for assaulting a woman at a nightclub. Broner was arrested shortly before those incidents in Kentucky over bench warrants in each case.

In the criminal portion, the woman accused Broner of forcibly kissing her at a Cleveland nightclub in 2018. He faced several felony charges but ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assault and received probation.

In 2020, he was jailed for a week for a probation violation following his arrest on a DUI charge in Florida.

The woman eventually hired a lawyer and filed a civil suit against the troubled fighter, who failed to appear at any of the proceedings nor hired a lawyer to defend himself. Broner was eventually ordered to pay her more than $800,000 in damages.

Hutchinson: ‘That’s not my problem that’s his problem’

Bill Hutchinson makes it, and responds to the failure of ⁦@AdrienBroner⁩ to show up for his presser. #BronerHutchinson @NYFights @team_hutch pic.twitter.com/eFfJ6XodKT

— Gayle Lynn Falkenthal (@PRProSanDiego) April 22, 2023

Hutchinson said of Broner’s issues outside of the ring: “That’s not my problem. That’s his problem. June 9, I will be there, and I will be prepared to win, and I will be prepared to fight and make Adrien very, very uncomfortable in that ring. So hopefully he shows up then.

Bill Hutchinson is riding a ten-fight win streak. Photo: Courtesy Tapology

“I think it’s indicative of his mindset at this point of his career. Obviously he’s on the back nine of his career. I don’t know if he’s just showing up to collect checks at this point, but he’s not even showing up to enable that to happen, right? A little bit confused. This was his press conference, right?

“I’m gonna have my coming out party June 9. Today was more for him to announce to everybody that he’s back and taking his career seriously, which obviously he’s not.”