• Lightweight

Broner aiming to dominate lightweights

ESPN staff
January 11, 2013
Adrien Broner is highly regarded and has a record of 25-0 © Getty Images
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Adrien Broner says he wants to completely clear out the lightweight division before even thinking about 'crushing dreams' at light-welterweight.

WBC champion Broner earned his title in his first fight at 135lbs when he knocked out Antonio DeMarco in the eighth round in November.

A unification bout with Ricky Burns was seen as the Cincinnati boxer's next logical step but the Scottish fighter reportedly priced himself out of the running by asking for a seven-figure purse.

Instead of taking on the WBO champion, Broner is fighting Gavin Rees in Atlantic City on February 16 with the bout serving as the Welshman's debut in America.

Following the manner of his lightweight bow against DeMarco, Broner admits he has been swamped by suggestions that he should move up another weight class and forget about Burns and IBF champion Miguel Vazquez.

But Broner, known as 'The Problem', says that is far from his mind as he has set his sights on lightweight domination.

"There's a lot of good fights that I still could have at 135lbs," Broner is quoted as saying on boxingscene.com.

"So I'm going to flush out this lightweight division and then we can go up to the light-welterweights and crush their dreams. So we're going to stay here for a while.

"They want me to just automatically go up to 140 [pounds]. No. I chose to move up to this weight. I still make the weight eating steak and potatoes every night in training camp. I make the weight comfortable, so I'm going to stay here."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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