Ashley Theophane has started preparing for his bout with Adrien Broner and is using the American trash talking to give him added motivation.
While the fight has not been officially announced, both men are set to face each other in March after Broner was snubbed for a fight with Manny Pacquiao.
Theophane has Broner in his sights and says that Broner’s brashness has made him the ‘most hated boxer in the world’.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Theophane said: “To me, he’s entertaining. He’s foul-mouthed and says stuff he shouldn’t say. He said the same things about Shawn [Porter] and Marcos [Maidana] so I don’t worry about words.
“When we get in the ring, that’s when I’ll be put to the test. Depending on my performance, we’ll see if I’m ‘easy money’ or whether we’ll hear ‘and the new’. His words just motivate me to work harder in the ring and on the road.
“He seems to be the most hated man in boxing. People who don’t even know me are saying they hope I win.
“I’m just working hard, putting it in and then it’s about putting on the performance of a lifetime to get the win. There are loads of people who hope that I win and I’m putting the work in in the gym to make that happen.”
Theophane believes the ‘blueprint’ is written to beat the current WBA super-lightweight champion. Both Shawn Porter and Marcos Maidana have beaten Broner and the Brit believes keeping Broner uncomfortable by constantly being active is the way to be victorious.
“He’s obviously a very good fighter to be 26 and a four-weight world champion. I respect him as a fighter but I do believe I can beat him. He’s shown his weakness against fighters like Shawn and Marcos, who are active. The blueprint is there.
“I’m not going to beat him by trying to outbox him. I have to be in there working and making him uncomfortable. He has flashy skills but he needs more than that. We’ve seen that. He’s got a good chin but if fighters keep working against him, he doesn’t like that.”
Theophane has been on a succession of six wins following his loss to Pablo César Cano in 2013. His last outing was against Steve Upsher Chambers in September, winning via a unanimous decision.
Broner comes off a win against Russia’s Khabib Allakhverdiev in October where he won the regular version of the title. After considering the career achievements of Broner, the WBA Championships Committee in compliance with WBA Rule C. 18 promoted Broner to the status of Super Champion.
– Oun Abbas Hussain / @ouney86
– Managing Editor for Behind the Gloves.
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