By Jake Donovan
August 15, 2022
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Adrien Broner will no longer appear on this weekend's previously announced Showtime quadrupleheader.
The former four-division titlist took to his verified Instagram account to confirm his official withdrawal from a planned junior welterweight clash with Texas' Omar Figueroa. The battle of ex-titleholders was due to headline a four-fight Showtime Championship Boxing telecast from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida but will no longer include the Cincinnati native.
"Man, I'm going [through] a lot at this moment in my life, but I ain't go give up," Broner stated Monday morning on social media. "I set some more goals and I finish what I started but sorry to say this but I'm not fighting August 20th." BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the rest of the show will move forward, including two title fights and the rescheduled bout between rising prospect Brandun Lee and Will Madera. A contingency plan is in place for Figueroa, which is expected to be revealed in the coming hours.
Previously announced to appear on the show, Dominican Republic's Alberto Puello (20-0, 10KOs) and Uzbekistan's Batyr Akhmedov (9-1, 8KOs) will collide for the vacant WBA junior welterweight title. The card's lone active titlist, WBA junior lightweight beltholder Roger Gutierrez will defend his crown against mandatory challenger Hector Luis Garcia, a stablemate and close friend of Puello.
The card also picked up the Lee-Madera fight—to take place above the junior welterweight limit—that was left behind upon the fallout of the August 6 Jake Paul-Hasim Rahman Jr. Showtime Pay-Per-View event.
Broner (34-4-1, 24KOs) has not fought since a disputed twelve-round win over then-unbeaten Jovanie Santiago last February 20 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. The bout topped a Showtime tripleheader behind closed doors, marking Broner's first win since 2017. In between came losses to Mikey Garcia and Manny Pacquiao, as well as a hard-fought draw with former two-division titlist Jessie Vargas.
Ambitious plans were in place for his fight with Figueroa (28-2-1, 19KOs)—who has lost two straight including a stoppage at the hands of Abel Ramos last May—to take place at junior welterweight. Broner last fought at that weight in his July 2017 loss to Garcia, while Figueroa hasn't weighed at or close to 140 since May 2015—when he actually showed up over the contracted junior welterweight limit in a disputed 12-round win over Ricky Burns. There was open skepticism over either fighter going forward without having to alter the contracted weight, though the greater concern was the mental well-being of both fighters. Figueroa admitted during a recent open media workout to being diagnosed with a mental health disorder and continuing to battle through it.
Such issues have been with Broner for some time, though hitting him the hardest late in training camp to where he was no longer able to move forward with Saturday's fight.
"Sorry to all my fans but #MentalHealth is real and I’m not about to play inside the ring," Broner stated in an impassioned post. "I’ve watched a lot of people die playing with they boxing career and that is something I won’t do just pray for me. I love the sport of boxing to much to not give my all and I feel like I came up short before because my mind wasn’t 100% there and I be [damned] if I make that mistake again.
"I need to make some changes for the better instead of worrying about other people feelings and pleasing them when in all reality I have nothing to prove to nobody. I’m a 4 time world champion in 4 different weight classes and if I never lace up a pair of gloves again I feel like it’s safe to say I will be inducted into the #BoxingHallOfFame. So I have to step back and overcome this obstacle before I go put my life on the line inside the square circle again. I know I’m far from being finished with the sport. SEE Y'ALL SOON."
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