Making my way downtown/walking fast/ faces pass/and I'm home bound/staring blankly ahead just making my way/making a way through the crowd
And I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder…
If I could fall into the sky
Do you think time will pass me by?
So… my first thought (after “WTF?”) was “WHY?”. Adrien Broner (33-3, 24KOs), perennial Asshole of the Year candidate in the eyes of many, decided to place his headphones on the Mic in front of him as a blackfisted Jessie Vargas (28-2, 10KOs) was speaking during Thursday's flaming final presser.
Then, in response to a mass media question from SHOWTIME anchor Brian Custer, the former 4-division world champion and reigning clown prince went back to his proxy, letting Custer know he'd rather be 1000 miles away from the preceedings.
He could've just gotten up and moon'd him for the same affect.
Looking to eclipse the comedic dismissing of Vargas and SHOWTIME, if there is a ‘Dark Side Of The Moon', someone beyond
Pink Floydsaw it, for Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe was absolutely facialed by AB. Presumably still “About Billions”, you'd be hard pressed to get Ellerbe to not interpret his brand as “About Bullshit”.
In fact, all he could do was laugh and shake his head as I asked him about Broner's hardcore shenanigans.
Completely capable of missing the beat writers and destroying a media workout over the rainbow with atomic bomb bestie Tekashi 69 (6ix9ine), Broner wasn't about to skip an encore at the weigh-in on Friday.
After slightly missing weight by a pair of spandex, officials draped a towel over AB to make things official on the scales. He made it. “You can lose the towel, I'm blessed,” offered a devilish Broner before losing weight. But as if on cue, the towel fell when the spandex came off, as AB became “The Flash”. If anyone said “Amen”, then you did.
Welcome to Ridiculousville ladies and gentlemen.
☆☆☆ ☆☆☆ ☆☆☆
Premier Boxing Champions: BRONER VS VARGAS
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn
When: Saturday, April 21
Why: Jermall Charlo, Gervonta Davis and Heather Hardy are the co-features
☆☆☆ ☆☆☆ ☆☆☆
The star of
Saturday night could turn out to be Kevin Cunningham. A Marine Corps drill sargent of a trainer, Cunningham's impact on serial malcontent and former super featherweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (19-0, 18KOs) had the look of obvious.
Davis has had major discipline problems, but seemed reborn and in spectacular conditioning at the weigh-in. He'll need all of it against a grimey Jesus Cuellar (28-2, 21KOs) intent on denying Tank the WBA super featherweight title and an opportunity to become a 2-time world champion. Cuellar is an aggressive, powerful machine cut from the cloth of Marcos Maidana (his brother Fabian, a super tough bastard, is on the card).
Cunningham will walk Davis to the ring to face Cuellar before guiding Broner to war with Vargas. Reports out of Florida indicate that both fighters went through complete Hellbefore embarking on Barclays.
If you're a fight fan thinking about coming to Brooklyn for a night of entertainment– you should. Homegirl star Heather Hardy (20-0, 4KOs), prettier than popular women's boxing legend Christy Martin ever was and a better fighter, looks to bring “The Heat” against Mexico's Paola Torres. Super lightweight Richardson Hitchins (4-0, 2KOs) is a 2016 Rio Olympian and fast becoming one of my favorite rising stars. And then there's George Arias (10-0, 6KOs), a menacing heavyweight brick from the Bronx. Both will be on the card.
Everyone's new favorite middleweight not named Gennady Golovkin (vs patsy Vanes Martirosyan on a now forgettable
May 5), Jermall Charlo will make an appearance against the highly suspect Hugo Centeno Jr. (26-1, 14KOs), who said or did nothing to change my mind about a 2nd round mugging. Charlo was introduced as Jermall “Taylor” before taking the scales by a time travelling Jimmy Lennon Jr. got Jermain out of his mind.
If that wasn't enough, Charlo was upstaged by his more popular brother Jermell, who was involved in a heated and highly emotional X-rated exchange of venom with Adrien Broner backstage before it spilled to the side of the podium. It was extremely intense, causing enough commotion to drape concern across the faces of PBC hype extraordinaire Sam Watson and SHOWTIME Exec. VP of Sports Stephen Espinoza. His face of dread made the “Free
Meek Mill” sweatshirt he was wearing seem hopeless. Ever increasingly, the fighters are beginning to display far too much negative levity over these events, which SHOWTIME and PBC officials will have to iron out immediately.
VARGAS VIA UD
I like Adrien Broner as much as I liked anyone I grew up with on the streets who lived a life of crime– because they never denied who they were. Genuine anything these days is worthy of an article. If Jessie Vargas is nothing else, he's definitely that, and has been more sincere in his appreciation of boxing and the craft of discipline. He's better than Adrian Granados and stronger than Mikey Garcia. Those two intangibles should allow Vargas to slightly out work AB for a UD.
And let's hope there's no more thoughts of a weird 69.
