[Wallet]

http://espn.go.com/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/2569/hbo-working-on-broner-deal

Most of the televised bouts involving Golden Boy fighters are on Showtime these days, but the promotion is still working with HBO, albeit to a lesser extent.

But Adrien Broner, who has been appearing regularly on HBO, is staying on the network. Broner, who won a lightweight world title by knocking out Antonio DeMarco in the eighth round on Nov. 17, is due back on HBO on Feb. 16, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

There is no opponent or venue yet, but Schaefer said he's been talking to British promoter Frank Warren about matching Broner with fellow titleholder Ricky Burns of Scotland. When Burns held a junior lightweight title, Broner was his mandatory challenger, but he moved up in weight and vacated -- some say to avoid Broner -- leaving Broner to win the vacated belt.

Burns is supposed to fight on Saturday in London, but his second opponent, Jose Ocampo, dropped out on Monday, leaving Warren to scramble for a replacement. Schaefer would like to see Burns just sit tight and wait until February.

"I am trying to do the Burns fight [with Broner,]" Schaefer said. "[I'll be] talking again [Tuesday] with Frank Warren. I am going to try and convince him to go directly to Broner for Feb. 16. But if Burns does not work out then maybe [interim titlist] Richard Abril" would be Broner's opponent.

Golden Boy and HBO are also far along in talks for a multi-fight contract for Broner to remain exclusively on the network. It would be for at least three fights, although, from what I am told, the Feb. 16 date is not predicated on the deal being finalized.

Also, when Broner fights Feb. 16, the undercard bout is likely to be a heavyweight rematch between Johnathon Banks and Seth Mitchell. On the Broner-DeMarco undercard last month, Banks pulled the upset by knocking out Mitchell in the second round. Mitchell had a rematch clause and has exercised his option to fight Banks again.

Schaefer and HBO are also in the talking stages about an April tripleheader. One of the bouts they are discussing is a featherweight match between former titlist Jhonny Gonzalez and 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year Gary Russell Jr., who would be taking a huge step up in the level of his competition if the fight is finalized. Gonzalez lost his belt via eighth-round technical decision to Daniel Ponce De Leon on Sept. 15.

Another fight being talked about would pit welterweight slugger (and former junior welterweight titlist) Marcos Maidana against prospect Keith Thurman. They were supposed to fight on a Broner undercard in July, but Maidana and his team decided against it. Now the talks have been renewed. Thurman has won two fights in a row on HBO, but if he faces Maidana, he would be fighting the best opponent of his career.

That April card could also feature the return of former two-time welterweight titlist Andre Berto, who lost a unanimous decision in a terrific fight against Robert Guerrero on Nov. 24.

Gonzalez vs Russell would be great. :ibutt

 

[Bryn]

BURNS. :bbb

 

[Roe]

No chance. Warren will claim the money offered wasn't enough, he already offered Broner a career high blah blah, there wasn't long enough notice, "we'd love to accept the offer but it's such a shame that we've just this second rescheduled the Jose Ocampo fight for the 16th of Feb" or some other bollocks excuse like that.

^^^ All just my opinion of course.

 

[JamieC]

Imagine if a WBO mandatory popped up now, that would just be terrible luck

 

[Teeto]

I'm clueless when it comes to the politics, what do you lads reckon the chances are of this fight happening?

 

[Danny]

I'm clueless when it comes to the politics, what do you lads reckon the chances are of this fight happening?

Unlikely, which is a shame. Warren and his team - unlike others on here - probably recognise how good Broner is and are unlikely to want to throw Burns in to such a tough fight and lose his title.

I think Burns would lose, but it's worth a go. What does a loss really do for him? He's good enough to come again and win another belt in such a weak 135lb division anyway, and if Broner has already unified and largely cleaned up the division that quickly, Golden Boy & Haymon will probably look to move him up to 140 anyway, so a couple of belts are vacant and the division is once again there for the taking.

 

[Teeto]

Unlikely, which is a shame. Warren and his team - unlike others on here - probably recognise how good Broner is and are unlikely to want to throw Burns in to such a tough fight and lose his title.

I think Burns would lose, but it's worth a go. What does a loss really do for him? He's good enough to come again and win another belt in such a weak 135lb division anyway, and if Broner has already unified and largely cleaned up the division that quickly, Golden Boy & Haymon will probably look to move him up to 140 anyway, so a couple of belts are vacant and the division is once again there for the taking.

ah ok, yeah I agree with you on the boxing aspect of your post fully, people are too assed about losses now, it's mad ghey

lets get it on

 

[Lunny]

That sounds like a great card should it all come together.

 

[JamieC]

Oh god what terrible luck for Warren, it looks like now Burns is off the card this week and wont be fighting again til late January, which makes a fight in February impossible! Such a shame but I suppose he has to get Burns out before February :conf

Burns beats Broner (which i think he would) and becomes a p4p name, or loses in America at 3 in the morning, no-one notices and he carries on at the top of the Lightweight division anyway and picks up belts again when Broner moves up, what does Warren lose?

 

[Roe]

Burns beats Broner (which i think he would) and becomes a p4p name, or loses in America at 3 in the morning, no-one notices and he carries on at the top of the Lightweight division anyway and picks up belts again when Broner moves up, what does Warren lose?

If Broner wins, Warren loses the marketing angle of having Burns as "world champion" (even though they could quickly get it back with Burns' talent and an open division as you say).

If Burns wins, he'll potentially become a big name in America and the world's top promoters, Golden Boy in this case, would do their best to get Burns to stay with them meaning Warren's job of promoting Burns becomes redundant.

So Warren loses either way. Which is why it won't get made until/unless Burns and his management team put real pressure on his promoter to deliver him the top fights.

All the above is just my opinion of course. Please don't sue.

 

[JamieC]

If Broner wins, Warren loses the marketing angle of having Burns as "world champion" (even though they could quickly get it back with Burns' talent and an open division as you say).

If Burns wins, he'll potentially become a big name in America and the world's top promoters, Golden Boy in this case, would do their best to get Burns to stay with them meaning Warren's job of promoting Burns becomes redundant.

So Warren loses either way. Which is why it won't get made until/unless Burns and his management team put real pressure on his promoter to deliver him the top fights.

All the above is just my opinion of course. Please don't sue.

when i first saw Burns was off the bill, and Ocampo had "withdrawn" (much to his own surprise), i honestly thought Burns had demanded the Broner fight and not the shitty fights that keep getting attempted, then i heard hes out in January :-(

 

[JamieC]

Just heard off Derry Mathews he was offered to step in but for a non-title 10 rounder for 15k

 

[adamcanavan]

Broner is stepping up, don't miss the part that days that if theydont get burns they'll get Abril in. Both great fights and deeper than broners ever been. I personally think both beat broner but very good fights to make

 

[sean87ph]

Warren has said on a number of occasions in his weekly article's that he believes Burns beats Broner then cant hang on an extra month until February, wants Burns out in January. Golden boy and Warren have quite a good relationship as far as am aware, sure we'll here all the usual classics.

 

[Wallet]

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Ricky Burns is looking to meet Adrien Broner for a world title unification fight in the spring - but not in his next contest.

WBO lightweight champion Burns saw a scheduled defence cancelled on Saturday after both Liam Walsh and Jose Ocampo pulled out.

Promoter Frank Warren had been keen to set up unbeaten WBC champion Adrien Broner for his subsequent fight, but Burns will stick to the plan.

Manager Alex Morrison told STV: "I spoke to Ricky this morning and we decided he will not be fighting Adrian Broner in February.

"Ricky didn't want to jump from a non-event to the biggest fight of his life in a matter of weeks.

"He'll make a defence of his title in Glasgow in January and we'll look at Broner after that."

Morrison named his price for taking the Scottish boxer to the US to fight Broner.

"Ricky will fight in America if the money is right," he said.

"That's £400,000 net, after fees, after tax. We could be looking at April."

 

[Ilesey]

It would be a terrific fight if it came off. Whilst I think Broner wins, Burns would give him a good run for his money.

 

[Lilo]

I sense that the tide has turned post-Demarco, many 'non-believers' now have Broner as the favourite. I'm still not convinced, think he'll be beaten soon enough but not by Burns.