It’s easy to dislike Adrien Broner. Or, more precisely, it’s easy to dislike the incarnation of himself that the hard-throwing kid from Cincinnati wants the fans to see. Viewed by some as a Floyd Mayweather clone—as much for his attitude as anything else—Broner is both good and sure of himself. Add a championship title to the resume, and the 22-year-old has plenty of legitimate reason to believe that he’s near the top of the class of the super featherweight division.
Eloy Perez has somewhat quietly amassed a stellar 22-0 record, but with less fanfare and panache than his February 25th opponent. Perez utilizes his quick hands and more of a strike and slide technique to subdue his foes. More than happy to allow his results in the ring do his talking for him, Perez decided the time was right to step into the spotlight and show a little bit of the ego that so many of the sport’s analysts felt he was missing. By calling out newly crowned champ Broner, and pushing his way to the front of the line of would-be contenders, Perez will either take the next step forward in his career or limp back into the middle of the pack.
The Pugs and The Prize
Adrien “The Problem” Broner (22-0, 18 KOs)
| Eloy “The Prince” Perez (23-0, 7 KOs)
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- When: February 25, 2012
- Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
- Card: Co-featured main event bout between Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KOs) and Marcos Maidana (31-2, 28 KOs)
Broner will make his first defense of the WBO Super Featherweight title he captured in a November 2011 bout with Vicente Martin Rodriguez of Argentina. Almost immediately after being crowned, Broner was called out by Perez and buzz started as to when the two would meet in the ring with the gold on the line.
Broner vs. Perez Preview
Some are dismissing Eloy Perez as little more than a fighter with a nice record but no real pop. Surely, whatever power Perez does possess, it won’t match up to what Adrien Broner brings to the ring. It’s unusual to see a groundswell of doubt surround a man sporting an unblemished record and the ability to match up relatively well with his opponent. Yet, Perez is not only heading into the fight with the tremendously daunting task of taking down a champion in front of him, but he also finds himself warding off critics.
For Adrien Broner, the Perez fight should be one that elicits just enough interest in seeing the champ defend his crown while still allowing him a clear path to a second title defense this summer. Broner is right to take the Perez fight given the intrigue behind two similar fighters and notable names in the Super Featherweight division, despite the inherent danger involved. The trash talk leading up to the February 25th bout coming out of the Broner camp is both loud and constant, and should provide a perfect cover for the concern they’re having over Perez.
The Analysis
Perez enters the match following a TKO victory over Ira Terry in October 2011, and an impressive second-round KO of Daniel Jimenez only a month earlier. Perez fights very compact, relying on quick hands and a lunging jab to make up for his sometimes plodding footwork. He’ll use his lead left foot to steer the ship forward, rarely ever moving back unless it’s to dodge a punch.
The most admirable aspect of his style is that Perez will throw plenty of punches, and has enough confidence in his speed to lead with his hook on many occasions. The most glaring deficiency in Perez’s otherwise solid approach is that when he senses a period of prolonged offense, he will square up his shoulders to his opponent and open up his torso, assuming the flurry of punches he’s throwing will not allow an opponent to respond. Although he has yet to be hurt by this, Broner is too quick and too precise to allow Perez to make this mistake more than once.
The champion is long, powerful and a deadly accurate puncher. Broner sees openings very well and relies on power punches—despite a wider-than-expected stance—to exploit opponents’ mistakes. Extraordinarily light on his feet, Broner moves to spots in the ring that his opponents, to date, have not expected, which allows him to create offense from any angle.
Not to be discounted is Broner’s penchant for showmanship in the ring. He’ll bob, weave and rock back and forth in an effort to both evade his opponent’s attack as well as get into his head. If he finds a groove in this fight—and the thought is that he will—it could be a relatively early evening.
Broner vs. Perez Prediction
Perez is going to look to get inside on Broner from the opening bell, and would be wise to do so. In order for a new champion to be crowned, Perez is going to have to take the fight to Broner while being mindful to not allow as wide an opening as he has in previous fights.
Despite a stellar record over a decent array of opponents, Perez has yet to face someone with the blend of power and finesse of Broner. If Perez can dictate the pace of the fight early (as did Vicente Martin Rodriguez), and land hooks, he stands a better chance of throwing Broner off his game.
Broner seems comfortable giving up a round or two on the cards in order to feel out his opponent in the ring. One day, this will likely prove to be a costly approach. However, like his opponent, his greatest perceived flaw has yet to cost him during professional career.
The champ will make Perez chase him around the ring and play into his hands. Look for Broner to counter quickly and make excellent use of any openings Perez provides. He will be precise and powerful in his offense, keeping Perez to the outside with stiff jabs and looking to end the fight with a devastating hook of his own.
This should prove to be a very entertaining Super Featherweight bout. Persistence is the basis of Perez’s repertoire, but will not be enough to overtake the champ in his first defense. Broner’s power and precision will take the night in spectacular fashion.
Prediction: Broner by KO in the fourth round.
