WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco says that his November 17 fight with Adrien Broner -- which was advertised as a done deal on HBO this past Saturday night -- will be the final step for him to get to boxing's elite level.

"This is the fight I want the most. This is the fight that I need to get me to the next level as one of the elite fighters. Beating Broner will be huge for my career. Every boxer as a kid dreams of becoming a champion. Thankfully I have done that and beating Broner will get me to exactly where I want to be, the elite level."

DeMarco (28-2-1, 21 KO) jumped into this conversation with his 44-second thrashing of John Molina on the Ward-Dawson undercard on HBO three weeks ago, calling out Broner pretty quickly after the fight and making it known that's what he wanted for his next fight.

Negotiations quickly began between DeMarco's promoter Gary Shaw and Golden Boy Promotions, and the fight was considered "close" to being finalized within a week or so. The Saturday announcement on HBO doesn't indicate that the fight is actually signed, sealed, and delivered, but you can safely assume at this point that it will indeed be happening at Boardwalk Hall on November 17.

Broner (24-0, 20 KO) is on the rise as a "star of the future" at HBO, with his huge talent and attention-getting personality driving him to a tremendous Boxing After Dark rating for his last fight on July 21. The fight with DeMarco would be his first serious fight as a lightweight, and I've really seen no one say anything bad about this matchup yet. It's the kind of fight we always hope to see made, two guys taking a risk in a well-matched bout.