Adrien Broner: Will 'The Problem' Ever Beat a Top 5 Pound-for-Pound Fighter?

Adrien Broner has high expectations for his career, even though he's only 23 years old. When online fight publication Ring TV declared him the No. 5 best fighter in the world today on its top 10 pound-for-pound list, the reasoning was due more to his potential than his actual accomplishments.

Most fighters generally have to beat pound-for-pound competition before they can enter the gates of pound-for-pound greatness.

But just as Nonito Donaire eventually earned his prematurely granted pound-for-pound placement that came after his shocking knockout of then-undefeated Vic Darchinyan in 2007, Broner will earn his keep.

The hard part is determining whom he will beat to achieve greatness.

Yuriorkis Gamboa

Gamboa has been on the tips of tongues for a while when it came to the pound-for-pound discussion. His domination of the featherweight division almost granted him entry.

But without a signature win, he's still on the outside looking in. But with his recent move up in weight from 126 to the 130-pound division, a report from BoxingScene.com says he wants to move up some more in April.

Gamboa will debut as a lightweight, and after doing so, he could land at No. 10 on a few pound-for-pound lists if he's impressive enough against the right level of opposition.

A Broner vs. Gamboa match has been clamored over for a while now, with the likes of Gamboa's promoter rapper 50 Cent telling BoxingScene.com that he wants to see the fight soon.

Will Gamboa be a top-five pound-for-pound fighter by the time Broner faces him? No.

But will the win justify his claim to top-five pound-for-pound greatness? Absolutely.

The Unofficial Golden Boy 140-Pound Tournament Winner

Danny Garcia is the current kingpin of the junior welterweight division. Golden Boy promotes Garcia along with the division's other best fighters: Lucas Matthysse, Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson.

Rarely in boxing do the best fighters in one division actually have the same promoter.

Considering the quality of these fighters—each only a handful of wins from the top 10 pound-for-pound throne—a tournament between the four would easily crown a top-five pound-for-pound entrant.

Golden Boy is positioning Garcia and Khan for a November rematch of their 2012 knockout of the year candidate, according to a report from Boxing News 24.

The promoter is also in discussions to have Peterson vs. Matthysse headline a May 18 fight card in Atlantic City, according to a report from Ring TV.

If the winners of Garcia vs. Khan II and Peterson vs. Matthysse fight, the winner would present the perfect opportunity for Broner to reaffirm his position as a top-five pound-for-pounder.

Timothy Bradley

Timothy Bradley is the undefeated American who controversially defeated Manny Pacquiao by split decision.

Though his win stays under heavy scrutiny, his prior accomplishments have allowed him to stay on the pound-for-pound list of most boxing aficionados.

Bradley is a welterweight champion. Broner, a lightweight champion, may be a few years away from debuting at 147, but Bradley is likely to stay in the top 10 by the time Broner comes to meet him.

By the time Broner and Bradley meet, Bradley's contract with Golden Boy-rival Top Rank will have possibly run out. Then Golden Boy can either sign Bradley or work with him as a free agent.

If Broner can beat fellow pound-for-pounder Bradley, that would make a strong statement for his pound-for-pound legacy.

Follow me on Twitter @JUSTINDAVIDTATE for more boxing analysis and news.