HBO: Adrien Broner vs. Vicente Escobedo this Saturday !!!

The trickle-down from the cancellation of the Lamont Peterson-Amir Khan junior welterweight title rematch has begun.

Peterson and Khan were supposed to fight May 19 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, but after it was revealed that Peterson failed a random drug test, the fight was canceled on Wednesday.

With the main event off, Golden Boy and HBO had little choice but to cancel the entire show. That meant junior lightweight titlist Adrien Broner, due to make defend against England's Gary Sykes (20-2, 5 KOs) in the televised co-feature, was also left without a fight.

The fight with Sykes, considered a mismatch in the eyes of most, won't be rescheduled.

Instead, Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer has been busy working on alternate plans over the past day. While Khan likely will fight somebody other than Peterson on a date to be determined in July, Schaefer told ESPN.com that Broner "will be fighting July 21 from Cincinnati, most likely against Vicente Escobedo, assuming he wins this weekend."

Broner (23-0, 19 KOs), who is from Cincinnati, would headline an HBO "Boxing After Dark" card against Escobedo (25-3, 15 KOs). But Escobedo, a 2004 U.S. Olympian, must first take care of business against heavy underdog Juan Ruiz (23-9, 7 KOs) on Saturday night in the "Solo Boxeo Tecate" main event on Telefutura in Escobedo's hometown of Woodland, Calif.

A Broner-Escobedo fight had always been on the drawing board for this summer, as Broner was expected to handle Sykes.

GrantZilla wrote:Considering the competition Broner has faced, Escobedo is a huge step up. Says a lot of Broner's compeition. Or little. Depending on how you look at it.

Ali wrote:

GrantZilla wrote:Considering the competition Broner has faced, Escobedo is a huge step up. Says a lot of Broner's compeition. Or little. Depending on how you look at it.

To be fair he's in an extremely weak division, Broner needs to move up to Lightweight for better challenges.

Diego408 wrote:He should fight Salido. It's very winnable and he'll get a good purse.

captainanddew wrote:

Diego408 wrote:He should fight Salido. It's very winnable and he'll get a good purse.

salido has had some fights at 130 before but he is campaigning at 126.

How about fighting one of the top guys at 130?

Diego408 wrote:

captainanddew wrote:

Diego408 wrote:He should fight Salido. It's very winnable and he'll get a good purse.

salido has had some fights at 130 before but he is campaigning at 126.

How about fighting one of the top guys at 130?

That's not how Haymon manages his fighters. Once he or other managers have a potential fight star, they keep him fighting bums.

when HBO/Showtime give us Canelo or Chavez Jr. fights, thinking they could be stars in the future, I understand it. Why?

Because both guys have the big fanbase(live and tv). So HBO will do well and if they prove to not be stars at least they put on guys that have a fanbase.

When HBO/Showtime give us guys like Berto that, while talented, don't draw alot of people to watch them live or on tv, and haven't proven to be truly elite, then they are wasting our time.

Berto should not have been headlining shows on HBO or Showtime, and especially not getting paid what he did. I don't hate Berto for getting the money. I hate that HBO was spending that % of their yearly budget on Andre Berto fights. If I made a list of 10 fighters I really wanted to see fight (when he had most of his previous fights), he wasn't on the list.

hillsicc303 wrote:

when HBO/Showtime give us Canelo or Chavez Jr. fights, thinking they could be stars in the future, I understand it. Why?

Because both guys have the big fanbase(live and tv). So HBO will do well and if they prove to not be stars at least they put on guys that have a fanbase.

When HBO/Showtime give us guys like Berto that, while talented, don't draw alot of people to watch them live or on tv, and haven't proven to be truly elite, then they are wasting our time.

Berto should not have been headlining shows on HBO or Showtime, and especially not getting paid what he did. I don't hate Berto for getting the money. I hate that HBO was spending that % of their yearly budget on Andre Berto fights. If I made a list of 10 fighters I really wanted to see fight (when he had most of his previous fights), he wasn't on the list.

The networks shouldn't be doing it for ANYBODY!!!

To try to justify for one fighter over another fighter is just ridiculous. Berto, Canelo, Bum Jr, Broner, etc, etc, etc... should be fighting legit competition, PERIOD. What HBO has given us the last couple of years with Canelo and Bum Jr was borderline criminal, and a blatant slap in the face to us boxing fans. And they actually have the audacity to put Canelo up against another 140 pounder in his next fight. I give Bum Jr credit for finally stepping up, but what has gone on over the past few years is totally unacceptable.

HBO has "Champions", who should be fighting other Champions or top contenders, fighting a FNF or ShoBox schedule...