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Adrien Broner says that a lot of people say he's the next Floyd Mayweather, and even though I'm not certain just who those people are apart from Twitter followers, here's what he had to say about the apparent constant Mayweather comparisons, from BoxingScene.com:
"A lot of people are saying I am the next Mayweather, but look, I’m going to clear it up," Broner said. "Mayweather, he has his own legacy and I’m my own man. I don’t ride off other people’s names. I respect him to the fullest. I learned a lot off just watching him. He’s a great guy."
Broner (22-0, 18 KO) faces Eloy Perez this Saturday night in St. Louis, on the Maidana vs Alexander HBO card, and is a pretty heavy favorite, it seems.
OK, I guess I've seen some Mayweather comparisons, but they're usually not be the sort of people I look to for scouting reports. If they have anything in common, it's creating an ultra-fake character to draw attention. I guess Broner fights sort of like Mayweather, but he doesn't come off as a complete Mayweather wannabe to me. There's also some Roy Jones in there.
I do like the statement that Mayweather is "a great guy." That's disputable.
It is good that Broner says he's not trying to just be another Mayweather, at least if he means it, and I've no reason to think he does not. By all accounts, Broner is actually a very nice kid who puts on the act for TV, and that's the way the game is played to some degree these days, so it's understandable. I still wish he'd let his talent speak for itself, but I suppose if I were his manager and he were doing that, I'd be begging him to do the hair brushing gimmick, too.