5 of the most memorable fights in Showtime Boxing championship history
1. Marcos Maidana vs. Adrien Broner - December 14, 2013
Few fighters in boxing have been as divisive as Adrien Broner. He has garnered a fanbase that supports him, but many watch his fights to see him lose. Much of that might be his own doing due to his never-ending trash talk and, at times, bordering on a delusional level of confidence.
When the four-division titlist stepped into the ring against the power-punching Marcos Maidana to defend his WBA welterweight title in December 2013, he was drawing comparisons to Floyd Mayweather as the next big star in boxing.
Maidana was in a career renaissance. Following a loss to Devon Alexander in 2012, he almost quit the sport entirely. An alliance with trainer Robert Garcia reignited him and put him on Broner’s path following wins over Jesus Soto Karass and Josesito Lopez.
Heading into the fight as five to one favorite, Broner would face multiple opponents. He also had to handle a hostile crowd. The crowd in attendance at the Alamodome in San Antonio was entirely behind the Maidana, cheering every punch he threw.
The arena almost exploded when Maidana knocked Broner down for the first time in his career at that point with a left hook. The power puncher was able to take advantage of Broner’s low-volume output and batter him to the head and body.
Broner responded to Maidana’s pressure and attacks by countering between exchanges in several rounds. He found more success when he was the aggressor. However, Maidana scored another knockdown in the eighth round, essentially solidifying his victory.
Maidana would be awarded the unanimous decision in what would be named the Ring Magazine Upset of the Year in 2013. He took the WBA welterweight title and Broner’s undefeated record.
A decade earlier, fans celebrated when Marco Antonio Barrera defeated Naseem Hamed. In that same vein, Maidana’s win over Broner stands as one of the more satisfying fights of the 2010s.
It was a fight where the supposed villain got his comeuppance. But, it would be unfair to deny that Broner fought bravely that night and, in some ways, earned a level of respect he hadn’t had before.
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