It has been a rough week for Adrien “The Problem” Broner. The former four-division champion turned himself in to police in Cincinnati on Monday morning. He was wanted on two warrants stemming from an arrest on felony assault charges and aggravated battery. The charges are in connection to an incident that allegedly took place early on January 21.
Broner is being accused of assaulting a man and taking $12,000 in cash from him at gunpoint. The two were reportedly gambling when the man decided to leave with his winnings, and Broner reportedly assaulted the man and took back the money he’d lost.
Two and a half hours after turning himself in, Broner was released after posting $10,000 bond.
The 26-year-old lost his WBA World super lightweight title on the scales ahead of his clash with Ashley Theophane on Friday night. Ultimately, Broner would stop Theophane in the ninth round, but the title was still vacated because Broner missed weight. After the fight, Broner called out former friend and mentor Floyd Mayweather.
The latter laughed off the challenge, as did many in the boxing community.
Mayweather is of course still officially retired from the sport. However, there has been speculation around the former pound-for-pound champion returning to the ring in attempt to run his record to a spotless 50-0.
While most would make Mayweather the favorite in a clash with Broner, there’s no doubting the level of public interest there would be for a fight between the two. Per Spike TV, Broner’s clash with Theophane drew more than a million viewers.
It’s unclear how the criminal charges will affect Broner’s long-term career. Obviously, if he is found guilty and forced to do time, he will experience a forced hiatus from the sport. If not, he should be able to resume his career with little to no delay.
Broner also announced he would be returning to the welterweight division. This means there are several fights to be made for The Problem, if he’s available to fight.
We’ll see how things play out, but keep your eyes peeled for the next bit of news regarding Broner’s legal battle and next fight information.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
