WASHINGTON, D.C. — Adrien Broner told RingTV.com that he’s planning to make it an early night when he makes the first defense of his WBO belt against contender Eloy Perez Feb. 25 on an HBO-televised card.
“Don’t go and get no popcorn,” said Broner, THE RING’s No. 6-rated junior lightweight. “I can’t give you a round, but it can end early. It will end early.”
The main event will feature junior welterweight Devon Alexanderagainst Marcos Maidana in a show that has potential to land at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
RingTV.com caught up to Broner on Friday at the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., where he was in attendance for Saturday night’s HBO-televised clash between Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) and Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KOs).
In June, Broner (22-0, 18 KOs) dispatched of Jason Litzau dismantling him with 11 unanswered blows over the final 16 seconds of a first-round knockout victory in June. Prior to that, Broner had scored a unanimous 10-round decision over Mexican former WBO super bantamweight titlist Daniel Ponce de Leon in March.
In his last fight, Broner took only 1:43 to vanquish Martin Rodriguez (34-3-1, 19 KOs) for the WBO’s vacant belt in Broner’s hometown of Cincinnati on Nov. 26. Broner’s victory ended Rodriguez’s unbeaten streak at 13-0-1, with nine knockouts.
“That was okay,” said Broner of his victory over Rodriguez. “In this next fight, I’m going to have fun.”
THE RING’s No. 9 jr. lightweight, Perez (23-0-2, 7 KOs), who turned 25 on Oct. 25, was recently named NABO Fighter of the Year, and is coming off his second straight knockout, scored in the sixth round over Ira Terry (24-7-0, 14 KOs) on Oct. 28.
Prior to that, Perez came up with an impressive second-round knockout of Daniel Jimenez (20-4-1, 12 KOs), who had won three straight bouts before falling to Perez in their Solo Boxeo Tecate main event on Sept. 2.
Perez also has a victory over feared lightweight prospect Dannie Williams(19-1, 15 KOs), a winner of eight consecutive bouts, six of them by knockout, since being out-pointed by Perez in a thrilling 10-rounder in September of 2009.
Perez had been considered to face Broner for the vacant WBO 130-pound belt before facing Terry but the deal fell through, according to Perez’s manager, Kathy Garcia.
“It’s the styles. Perez tries to be somebody that I think that he’s not,” said Broner. “But at the end of the day, he’s a Mexican.”
What does that mean?
“Come on, man, I’m from Cincinnati, man,” said Broner. “I’m the flashy guy, man. It gets no better than this.”
by Lem Satterfield
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/170633-broner-aims-for-a-knockout-against-perez
