Adrien Broner Calls out Floyd Mayweather After Win vs. Ashley Theophane

Adrien Broner called out retired fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the wake of his victory over Ashley Theophane on Friday evening, insisting he feels disrespected by his former companion. 

Broner was speaking after his win on Friday, in which he triumphed with a ninth round stoppage. He and Mayweather have been on opposing sides in the build-up to this one, with the man known as Money promoting the British fighter who was defeated. And it’s clear The Problem wants to settle their differences in the ring, per Dan Rafael of ESPN:

"

Somebody I look up to and somebody I admire talked all bad about me. I don't know how you all like it. I didn't like it. I learn s--t from physical activity, so me and Floyd, we got a feud.

I'm a man, at the end of the day, and I come from the streets, from the bottom. I come from nothing, and I will never let a man disrespect me. He got to come see me. We got to get it on.

"

As we can see here courtesy of PBC, it wasn’t a suggestion which seemed to intimidate the illustrious fighter:

Mayweather spoke about being called out after the fight, via FightHype.com:

Mayweather also advised PBC's Scott Hanson that it's not a challenge which appeals to him:

As Rafael notes, the pair have been close in the past, with Broner sometimes referring to Mayweather as his “big brother.” But being on opposite sides of the ring has prompted a deterioration in relationship, with Money branding his compatriot a “snake” and insisting he’s not good enough to be a pay-per-view fighter in an interview with Ben Thompson of FightHype.com.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Broner took another shot of his own at Mayweather in the aftermath, insisting the win over Theophane was easy:

The win was a bright spot at the end of a difficult week for Broner. He was stripped of the WBA light-welterweight title on Friday after he failed to make the weight for this fight, the second time he’s faced such ignominy in his career.

Still, he was clearly the stronger fighter on the night, showcasing superior speed, accuracy and in-ring intelligence to his English opponent, who is a regular at Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Even so, the prospect of The Problem going head-to-head with Mayweather is not one which stirs excitement. After all, Broner has struggled badly when up against a higher calibre of opponent, losing heavily to both Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter earlier in his career.  

Indeed, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix thinks that if the pair were to go toe-to-toe, the result would be a landslide one in favour of Money:

Mayweather hung up the gloves last year after he beat Andre Berto in a similarly lopsided contest and he’s resisted the urge to get back in the ring and add to his immaculate career record of 49-0. Judging by his reaction to the calls from Broner you suspect this is not the calibre of opponent which would prompt a return.

Broner needs to continue to make steady progress too. He’s a fighter who possesses undeniable talent, but regularly lets himself down with his antics or his lack of conviction in the ring. Having won his last two fights against modest opposition, he now needs to make another small step up; Mayweather, at this juncture, is not the fight he needs in career.