Adrien Broner vs. Adrian Granados Fight Preview and Prediction to Win
When: Saturday, February 18, 2017
Where: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: Showtime
Weight Class: Super Lightweight: 140 Pounds
By Loot, Boxing Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Adrien Broner, 32-2 (24 KOs), Cincinnati, Ohio
Vs.
Adrian Granados, 18-4-2 (12 KOs), Cicero, Illinois
Betting Odds: Adrien Broner (-270), Adrian Granados (+230)
In 140-pound action between top-ten contenders, Adrien Broner takes on Adrian Granados in Broner's hometown of Cincinnati. For Broner, still just 27, this is a chance to put behind him some legal issues, losses, and inactivity that temporarily sidetracked his career. This is his first fight in 10 months and only his second bout since October 2015. For Granados, also 27, this is a chance for him to become a really serious player in the division. He has won five straight and scored a TKO over big prospect Amir Imam and looks to be peaking heading into this matchup.
Broner is a two-headed coin. On one hand, he's an immensely-talented fighter—a boxer with speed, power, knowledge, and confidence. He has won titles at 130, 135, and 140 pounds. His resume includes a handful of good names on it. But on the flip side of the coin we have a fighter who doesn't always get the most of what he has. His record is filled with close wins that could have gone the other way—razor-close fights against Ponce De Leon and Paulie Malignaggi. And in his two losses to Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter, he showed himself to be something less-than-elite.
The issue with Broner is that we might be dealing with a fighter whose name-power and Q-rating exceed his actual merit as a fighter. He is one of the more high-profile fighters in the sport without having racked up the accomplishments to warrant that billing. But we don't want to backlash too far to the other side. While he may have shown himself unable to deal with the best at 147, he's still a handful and especially at 140 pounds where the opposition is smaller and not quite as fearsome as it is up north at 147. And let's not forget that at 27, he still has room for growth.
The issue with Broner also extends to beyond the ring, where he has shown a less-than-Spartan lifestyle. He has experienced weight issues and can tend to balloon-up between fights. He obviously likes to have a good time and has run into some problems. At the moment, it's behind him and we'll see if he can become more mature and approach his craft with more professionalism. At some point at this level when facing totally-committed fighters, a boxer like Broner will need to match their devotion. Talent can only take you so far. This is where we start to see if Broner can make it all come together with his skills, preparation, and mental devotion to the sport. Those who think they can hang in this sport with anything less than a total level of commitment are usually shown the door sooner or later. This is the part of Broner's career where we see if he has the other elements to go along with his abundant skill and talent.
For all his issues, Broner is a heck of a fighter. He has power and speed, along with the ability to lash out with sudden shots. He has that Mayweather shoulder-roll and along with his powers of anticipation, he can show an excellent defense. He can lead with a strong right hand or a strong jab. There is a lot of variety in his game. But sometimes, he doesn't work hard enough and allows less-talented fighters to outwork him. His vision of a fight is suspect, as he doesn't seem to understand where he stands in a fight with a bit too much optimism about his performance. In fights against Malignaggi and De Leon, he seemed to think he was way ahead and only the judges' generosity enabled him to avert defeats in those fights. It's just that with Broner, you don't always get the results you'd forecast.
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Now how does Granados fit into this equation? On the surface, we see an Illinois fighter with 4 losses and he might not seem like much. But Granados is a late-bloomer, just now starting to round out into shape. All of his losses were debatable decisions with none of them being unanimous and a few of them being outright robberies. Being an opponent and taking on blue-chip prospects is a hard way to thrive. But Granados did well enough in those fights to become a prospect in his own right. And it all came together in a huge 2015 upset win over Amir Imam, who was considered a future champion by many at 140 pounds. Strangely, Granados has fought just once since then, scoring a unanimous decision over a 12-15-1 fighter. One would have liked to have seen a better follow-up to a career-best win, but he can make up for it with a win here.
Granados could look at what Maidana did to Broner and maybe derive some hope from that. He has a similar style where he gets in there and roughs up opponents. He's a little longer than Broner with several inches in height and reach on his opponent. But he's no Maidana and his attack lacks the clout of the now-retired Argentine. Signs from the Broner camp point to a more-serious athlete who knows he has to start making progress now or he could squander a special career. I envision a serious version of AB who will have issues, but see his superior talent eventually usurp the efforts of Granados. I'm taking Broner in this one.
Loot's Pick to Win the Fight: I'm betting on Adrien Broner at -270. Did you know... that you could be wagering on the Adrien Broner vs. Adrian Granados fight at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying inflated odds with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
