On September 6th, 2014, Adrien Broner won a Unanimous Decision against Emmanuel Taylor in a fan-friendly bout that deviated from the pre-fight script. Despite being knocked down in the 12th round at the US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Taylor was a competitive and tough competitor throughout.
From the opening round, Taylor turned on the pressure and made Broner work hard for the victory. This of course brought out the best in Broner, making him go through the gears to cope with his game opponent.
Broner deserves credit for surviving some shaky moments – courtesy of Taylor right hands – and returning fire throughout. His crisp uppercuts and body shots impressed in particular, and of course, the peach of a left hook that knocked down his foe in the 12th. The Cincinnati native may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no disputing his talent and fighting spirit. He’s certainly back to his winning ways following a nightmare encounter with Maidana in December 2013.
This was a stand and trade fight that, perhaps partly due to a seemingly smaller ring, was entertaining from start to finish. At the final bell, official ringside scores came in at 116-111, 115-112, and 116-111.
Following the victory, Broner improves to 29 wins, 1 loss, with 22 knockouts, while Taylor reduces to 18 wins, 3 losses, with 12 knockouts. Broner will of course move on to bigger names and paydays. (Broner vs Taylor Highlights)
Going forward, if a flaw had to be picked in his game, it would be his defense. He has good power and fundamentals for the division, but one wonders just how many punches he could shake off from serious punchers like Lucas Matthysse and Danny Garcia. If a fight with rumored opponent John Molina Jr. were to now materialize, that would certainly be an enthralling affair on paper.
And where does Taylor go now? Though this will come as his third professional loss, he should hold his head high after this energetic, tenacious performance. Taylor still has a great chance at remaining relevant in the sport, and shouldn’t have to wait too long before being offered another big name.
Before the evening’s final act got underway, stone-fisted Lucas Matthysse made very short work of opponent Robert Ortiz, knocking him down and out in the 2nd round. Matthysse left no doubt as to why he’s considered one of boxing’s most devastating punchers. Andre Berto also clocked up a win, winning a lopsided Unanimous Decision in his bout with Steve Upsher Chambers. All three scorecards came in at 99-91.
Also, in Mexico City, Mexico, Juan Francisco Estrada successfully defended his WBO Flyweight title when he took on Giovani Segura. Estrada looked the boss for much of the bout, with his heavy straight punches eventually prompting the referee to step in at 1:33 of the 11th round. The 4th straight win, since losing a Unanimous Decision to Roman Gonzalez back in November 2012, bulks Estrada’s record to 30 fights, 2 losses, with 22 knockouts. Giovani’s now falls to 32 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw, with 28 knockouts.
What did you think of Broner vs Taylor that night? Was Broner’s defense exposed, or was he simply in with a hard, quality challenge against Taylor? How did you score the bout? And was the knockdown a necessary exclamation point to keep Broner in the marquee name pile?
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