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Admirable Honesty From Showtime Executive About Adrien Broner
Stephen Espinoza has become quite adept to answering tough questions.
Now in his 9th year at Showtime Sports, Espinoza sat down with Michael Woods on the Everlast “Talkbox” podcast this week to discuss some of the pressing issues facing his network and his fighters.
Peers in his role are infamous for twisting talking points and crafting answers to fit their narrative. But Espinoza was refreshingly candid when asked about the status of Adrien Broner, offering up unbiased analysis of his recent Showtime Pay Per View performance:
“I thought Adrien Broner would be more competitive against Pacquiao… I thought Adrien would be motivated by this opportunity and he just couldn’t put it together.”
Adrien Broner's effort didn't;t live up to expectations in his last outing, Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza admitted.
While gracious in his critique, it should be noted that few in his position would admit an event didn’t live up to its billing, or a fighter didn’t meet the expectation. That has been more of the rule than the exception with the career of Broner.
One where opportunities have often been met more with antics than action.
Throwing more verbal jabs before and after the fight than punches during.
Espinoza, however, pulled no punches in his assessment of where Adrien is now.
“His activity level is not at the point that he is competitive at the top tier,” Espinoza continued. “Can he improve his punch output? I don’t know if he can.”
With only one win in his last four outings, a declining punch output, and a slew of problems outside of the ring, it seems quite evident that Espinoza knows the answer to his own question. It is fully up to AB to prove he can fight as well as he talks, moving forward.
