Adrien Broner vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Who Would Win?

Adrien "The Problem" Broner (26-0, 22 KO's) easily disposed of Gavin Rees yesterday. He didn't stand a chance and was an 80-1 underdog. Regardless of the poor matchup, Broner looked impressive flashing speedy punches with knockout power. 

Broner is a young, elite fighter who is drawing a lot of comparisons to Floyd Mayweather Jr. But what if he is already better than Mayweather Jr.?

It's clear Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KO's) is a proven veteran with more experience than Broner, but could a beefed up Broner beat him at this stage in their respective careers?

I think he could.

When comparing the two, their similarities are evident: Both are within one inch of each other in height and reach, both are dominant counterpunchers with knockout power and both are slick fighters that avoid punches with a roll of their shoulders.

Between the two, Mayweather Jr. is the more elusive fighter, but Broner is the power puncher.

At 23 years old, Mayweather Jr. was 24-0 with 18 knockouts.

His best opponent at this age was Angel Manfredy. He was facing B- and C-level fighters and looked impressive against them. 

Broner, at 23 years old, is 26-0 with 22 knockouts.

Like Mayweather Jr. and most fighters early in their careers, he has also faced some easy competition. However, he has beaten some strong fighters like Antonio DeMarco and Daniel Ponce De Leon.

Broner is ahead of Mayweather Jr.'s progress at the age of 23.

No one can predict the future and tell if Broner will be able to sustain Mayweather Jr.'s longevity, but right now, his prospects look promising.

Hypothetically, if Broner and Mayweather Jr. were willing to fight in a catch-weight bout, I think Broner would win. He has faster hands with more knockout power, and he has youth on his side. This bout will most likely never take place, but Broner is on his way to becoming the most polarizing figure in boxing.

Time will tell if he is able to eclipse the legacy of Mayweather Jr., but he has a better chance at accomplishing this task than any other fighter in boxing today.