Remember “Frobe” Bryant? That fresh faced kid who came into the NBA hell-bent on letting the world know he was the next Michael Jordan. Well, eventually he became the closest thing we’ve ever seen to MJ but when he first arrived on the scene there was something unseemly about him-and that “something” was everything. The way he walked, the way he talked (Jordan’s tone, tenor and cliches) and about 99% of his game seemed so pandering and cheesy-so much so that we didn’t want to admit he was one hell of a basketball player. It was too soon, Jordan wasn’t yet among the Gods, he was still among us and we hated Kobe’s “first impression” so much it took adversity and 5 Championships to force us to appreciate him. Success can be broken down to a formula, but transcendent people are almost always damned near impossible to replace-especially in Boxing. Larry Holmes tried to recite poems and it only made us hate him more, he only turned out to be one of the greatest heavyweights that ever lived. Because of Tyson every stocky fighter wore the black trunks and mid-level old time boxing shoes for about 10 years and it only highlighted just how far removed the Bert Coopers of the world were from being “Iron Mike”. Remember Panchito Bojado? Who was Victor Ortiz before Ortiz? both fighters were branded as New Age Golden Boys and both proved just how elusive Gold is to find. Branding isn’t easy’ in fact there’s a science to it and many public figures fall through the cracks if they aren’t careful about what it is they want to project. Trying to piggyback off of an established brand is even harder, especially when that brand is an enigmatic combination of skill and polarization that we’ve seen in the Floyd Mayweather phenomenon. Last weekend Adrien Broner made his first statement as a legitimate “Problem” for elite fighters in the Lightweight division but his Branding hinted at a not so interesting facsimile of his predecessor despite possibly having a superior product.
Boxing is simple, if you’re willing to Be Aggressive there’s no need for clowning
When Floyd Mayweather destroyed Diego Corrales (RIP) all those years ago it hinted at a career that would rival Sugar Ray Leonard’s, by 2006 due to brittle hands he was considered more on par with Pernell Whitaker (no insult). Adrien Broner looks like Mayweather if you’re squinting but his willingness to take a wide stance and fight Antonio Demarco makes him a different brand, a product that can sell itself in Boxing- a Boxer/Puncher. Marketing in all industries is a game of likeness but every black fighter with a shoulder roll defense and good speed need not marry themselves to being a jerk, besides if it “so happens” that Broner is a jerk we’ll make room for him if he can hurt opponents. Floyd Mayweather “happened” in a vacuum and just because it translated for him will not guarantee it for Broner, especially when there may not be a landscape filled with likable draws (Gatti, DLH, Hatton) to make that “act” successful. Broner is a self-professed “Class Clown” but not everyone is amused by his humor; his Baby’s Mama may be used to fake proposals but it played as crass and negatively stereotypical garbage in front of HBO cameras. Humor is a Science, a lot of fighters are funny but none of them promise to deliver humor in their appearances. Funny things happen all the time in post-fight interviews but when you come off as panned and rehearsed it won’t register. Coincidentally last week Eddie Murphy (the Muhammad Ali of Comedy) was honored by a generation of the best comedians of the last 20 yrs., men like Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Adam Sandler. All of Eddies progeny were naturally funny when talking about Eddie but when practically begged to “do his thing” Eddie demurred; because being funny is serious business and he hadn’t been in the lion’s den in years. Adrien Broner can easily be mistaken as a Classless Clown and a Mayweather Wannabe, something he’s too talented to subject himself to. Floyd Mayweather didn’t have Al Haymon and the Golden Boy machine behind him at Adrien’s age; a lot of his venom and emphasis on Money comes from bitterness regarding Arums unwillingness to see him as a PPV star. When you can punch like the Cincinnati native it’s OK and preferred that what you do in that ring is more important than post fight hair brushing-the late Emmanuel Steward said as much. The great ones have a way of micro managing but keeping priorities intact; once Broner learns how to balance what he does with who he is he’ll be fine. LeBron James was clearly gifted enough to win Championships but his early career was about Branding, while Jordan the game’s biggest “brand” was clearly in the “ass kicking business” first and foremost -and you could tell.
The Time to differentiate the Problem from “Money” is now
When Mayweather called out De La Hoya his own Daddy said he was too small, but “Lil Floyd” knew that he walked around at 150 lbs. and proved himself actually stronger than Oscar. Broner is 5’7 with a 71’ reach and there’s nothing for him to do at 135 lbs. that wouldn’t offend HBO subscribers and fans. Amir Khan is going to be a paradox for as long as he continues to fight, whether GBP would risk him to get Broner going is a company question-but I would do it in a heartbeat because it could give them an asset going forward. No offense to Danny Garcia but if Broner chose to be the 140 lb. Champion by Spring in front of a rabid Puerto Rican fan base in Brooklyn it wouldn’t be hard. The Real “Man” in that Division, Marquez is going against Pacquiao and win or lose wouldn’t be blamed if he conceded the actual recognition to a 23 year old Lion like Broner-but if he wants to face The Problem, no Problem. Where does that leave Broner?, who by next year can easily be in or around a Division where Historically a lot of Financial Dreams have come true-can he resist speaking the name we all say to ourselves when we watch him fight? Could someone of Devon Alexanders proven passivity keep Broner off of him? Is it prudent to be so willing to share branding similarity with a legend you may be the only one equipped to defeat? That scale is a seducer in many ways and ultimately it can make friends hit friends and protégés beat the hell out of aging mentors. If Mayweather is getting caught going backwards (no legs) by a 67’ reach in Cotto can he deal with a mirror image packing thudding power at age 36? Really? Adrien Broner should do everything in his power to keep the focus on different aspects of his personality, because if he ever collided with Floyd the first thing out of the legends mouth will shed light on what we’re seeing now. When MJ faced Kobe in 98’ he still had enough psychological leverage to make the younger, superior athlete look like an amateur. Psychological leverage is paramount in a sport like Boxing, just ask Mike Tyson. Reminding us of someone in the ring is often inescapable because every fighter is influenced by someone, but De La Hoya is doing Broner no favors by hammering that point home in the media. When you’re as talented as Broner things happen very soon, one minute your mimicking an idol and the next Al Haymon is asking you what your price is-it can happen that quickly. The time is now for Broner to rethink his brand and project something that will contrast enough with Floyd to capture our imagination because we all know that is a huge part of selling a fight. Mayweather is a "Big Brother" to Broner but if he is still the preeiminant face of Boxing in early 2014 (Totally conceivable) the relationship will be tested purely based on economic survival. If not, Broner can find himself a mere standout in a land of young black fighters doing their best Floyd Mayweather imitation and that would be a shame.
In fact it would be a problem.
