• Welterweight

Schaefer: Khan-Broner a serious possibilty

ESPN staff
April 26, 2013
Adrien Broner moves up two weight classes to fight Paulie Malignaggi © Getty Images
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WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner's decision to move up to welterweight has opened up a possible bout with Amir Khan, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has hinted.

Undefeated Broner will move up two weight classes to face WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi at 147lbs on June 22 in New York, Golden Boy announced on Thursday.

With Khan tied up in a bout with Julio Diaz, and other top light-welterweights such as Zab Judah and Lamont Peterson also involved in upcoming fights, Broner made the decision to rise to the welterweight class.

However if Broner, 23, decides to stick at that level following his meeting with Malignaggi, Schaefer believes that setting up a bout with fellow Golden Boy-fighter Khan would be a serious possibility.

"I can definitely see, assuming he is successful, that Broner will pick opponents after this fight that are among the top 140-pounders," Schaefer said. "There are a lot of big names and many are promoted by Golden Boy, so they are easy fights to make.

"At 140lbs, there is not one name Adrien wouldn't fight. Amir Khan-Broner or Broner against the winner of [Danny] Garcia and [Zab] Judah or [Lamont] Peterson and [Lucas] Matthysse, you name it. You can mix and match.

"He's willing to fight all of those guys, but they were not available. Not only is Broner willing, I want to make those fights. It takes a willing fighter and it also takes a willing promoter, and here you have both."

Broner stated that he is relishing the step up in class, and believes that he will defeat his opponent to become a three-time world champion when they meet at the Barclays Center in New York.

"Is the weight class ready for Adrien Broner? That's the question," Broner said. '"Paulette' better be in some shape. On June 22, I will be a three-time world champion in three weight classes at just 23 years old.

"[Malignaggi] is a good fighter. He wouldn't be a world champion if he wasn't. He's a [trash]-talker. I'm a [trash]-talker. He backs it up some of the time. I back mine up all of the time.

"I never had no beef with Malignaggi, but at the end of the day, it's business. I'll kick his ass, and then we can be friends. If he takes it personal, that's on him, not for me."

Malignaggi admitted that he was surprised to be offered the fight a Broner, but confessed that accepting the challenge was an easy decision.

"I could have been offered a lot of fights. Shane Mosley, Andre Berto, [Marcos] Maidana," Malignaggi said. "And I wound up with Broner.

"I found it ironic to be offered the most money to fight the smallest guy, a guy who has a lot to prove in my eyes. He's been fighting guys who can't fight. So when they offered him to me, I thought it was a joke at first."

"I think it will bite his team in the ass and they will feel very, very stupid on June 23."

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