At Thursday’s weigh-in for tonight’s fight at the DC Armory in Washington, DC, between Adrien Broner (31-2, 23 KOs), from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ashley Theophane (39-6-1, 11 KOs) from Las Vegas by way of Paddington, London, United Kingdom, Broner lost his WBA World super lightweight title on the scale.
He came in weighing 140.4 pounds, less than a pound over the 140-pound limit.
In addition to having lost the title, Broner will have to forfeit an undisclosed amount of his purse to Theophane.
It’s not the first time Broner has been stripped for failing to make weight. The same thing happened when he fought Vicente Escobedo in July 2012.
Despite the many distractions facing Broner, including criminal charges, he appeared confident doing into the bout.
“I have tunnel vision,” he said at the final press conference. “It’s fight time. I’m locked-in until I get the job done.
“Right now I have to focus on this fight. I’m keeping my mind in the right state. I’m not just doing this for me. It’s for my family. It’s bigger than just me.”
Broner stormed out of the weigh-in after he failed to make weight. He didn’t talk to reporters. He didn’t talk to anyone.
Instead, Theophane did the talking.
“We going to get that win,” he said. “It has shown he’s stressed out. He looks stressed up there. He’s looked stressed all throughout press conferences.”
Broner’s spokesman refused to discuss the weigh-in. But Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, summed things up for us all when he said:
“All we can do is pray for Adrien.”
(Adrien Broner vs. Ashley Theophane will be televised live tonight on Spike TV starting at 9 PM/ET.)
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.
