• Welterweight

Broner exercises Maidana rematch clause

Adrien Broner lost the welterweight title to Marcos Maidana on December 14 © AP

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Adrien Broner, who got knocked down twice, badly roughed up and lost his welterweight title to Marcos Maidana by clear unanimous decision on December 14, wants to try his luck with the Argentine slugger again.

Broner exercised his contractual right to a rematch on Friday, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer told ESPN.

"My mind is set on war," Broner told ESPN. "I had a bad night. He was the better man that night, but he didn't beat me. He out-hustled me. I respect everything. I respect him. But I'm ready to go back to war and get my belt back.

"I'm taking boxing back to what it used to be. They created a monster. [The loss] woke up a monster."

Schaefer said he thinks the fight will be on either April 19 or April 26, and will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, or San Antonio's Alamodome, site of the December fight.

Although the underdog, Maidana, one of boxing's biggest punchers, stormed to Broner in the first round and never let up during a dramatic fight of the year candidate.

Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) let his power shots fly and knocked down Broner (27-1, 22 KOs) in the second and eighth rounds, bloodied his nose and dished out a lot of punishment in the 117-109, 116-109, 115-110 victory.

"I think the first fight was a hell of a fight and a fight of the year candidate," said Schaefer, who originally said at ringside after the fight that there was no rematch clause but corrected his mistake on Friday. "Adrien is still very young, and he wants to set the record straight. And for Maidana, I am sure he is licking his chops to get his hands on Broner again.

"I don't think there was much love between those two before the fight, during the fight or after the fight. I know we can expect fireworks again in the lead up to the fight, at the press conferences and during the fight. As a fight fan, I am excited. I can't wait."

Maidana, who won a world title in a second weight class, put on such an impressive performance that he was prominently mentioned as a possible May 3 opponent for pound-for-pound king and fellow welterweight titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr., Broner's idol.

However, with Broner, 24, of Cincinnati, exercising his rematch clause with Maidana, 30, that almost certainly locks up the Mayweather fight for England's Amir Khan, the former junior welterweight titlist.

Schaefer declined to comment on the status of the Mayweather fight.

Broner, who suffered the first loss of his career, also holds a lightweight title, but he has no intention of returning to that division or dropping down to the junior welterweight division.

"I wanted to go right back to camp after the fight, but I knew my body wasn't able to go to camp physically," Broner said. "But mentally I wanted to box. I know what I've got to do in the rematch and I will do it. It will be a different outcome. I am starting to get myself ready. It'll be another good fight. I've got to go get mine back."

Broner, who was making his first defence after winning the welterweight belt in June by decision against Paulie Malignaggi, said he got over the loss quickly and was buoyed by support with daily phone calls from Mayweather, whom he calls his "big brother."

"I got real people in my corner," Broner said. "And I'm not going to change no trainers. It has nothing to do with the trainer. My trainer [Mike Stafford] can't fight for me. I have a hell of a coach. He's one of the best in the world. So I took a loss. But my cheque was amazing."

While Maidana would prefer a more lucrative, higher-profile fight with Mayweather, manager Sebastian Contursi understands the rematch option.

"We are open to hear offers as always, and Broner may be of them, I guess," Contursi told ESPN. "All we know is Maidana has earned the right to fight for big money after his impressive win over Broner and after being one of the most attractive fighters out there in the last few years. ... But if Golden Boy and Al Haymon [adviser to Maidana, Broner and Mayweather] think a rematch with Broner is the best option, we will wait for their offer."

Said Broner: "The rematch will have a different outcome guaranteed. I'm happy for [Maidana]. I want him to have his 15 minutes of fame. At the end of the day, nobody is talking about his victory. They are talking about Adrien Broner's loss. Some people don't even know who I lost to. They just know I lost."

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com

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