Adrien Broner vs Blair Cobbs Preview June 7th, 2024
After another year layoff, former world champion Adrien Broner of Cincinnati, Ohio returns to the ring in Hollywood, Florida this Friday, June 7th with Don King as his promoter as he takes on southpaw Blair Cobbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a 10-round welterweight tilt, which will be shown live on pay per view and on on Triller. Broner’s last outing resulted in a 10-round unanimous decision win over Bill Hutchinson last June while Cobbs last boxed in August, 2022 when he beat former world champion Maurice Hooker by a wide 10-round unanimous decision and dropped him in round one and twice in the second round.
Broner vs Cobbs Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Adrien Broner +125
- Blair Cobbs -155
My Pick
The 34-year-old Broner is a former four-division world champion at junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight and will climb through the ropes with a record of 35-4-1 with 24 Ko’s. Broner suffered his four defeats at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in 2019, Mikey Garcia in 2017, Shawn Porter in 2015 and Marcos Maidana back in 2013 as they all beat him by 12-round unanimous decisions in the welterweight division.
He also fought to a 12-round draw with Jessie Vargas in April, 2018 which means he has won just two of his last five outings. In addition, this will be just his fourth fight in the past five years. Broner possesses enough talent to be an elite boxer, but his maturity level, attitude and work habits could all do with a lot of improvement as well as his behaviour outside of the ring. He keeps promising fans he’s changed, but they’ll have to wait until Friday night to judge for themselves.
Broner stands 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 69-inch reach and possesses excellent speed and good power as well as plenty of pro experience. He’s fought 257 rounds since turning pro in 2008 after a fine amateur career which saw him win the 2003 National Silver Gloves final in the 12/13-year-old division and reach the quarterfinals of the 2004 USA Junior Olympic National Championship. He has good power as 68.5 per cent of his wins have been by stoppage but he hasn’t recorded one in the ring since halting Ashley Theophane in 2016, a span of six fights.
Broner’s beaten some good opponents over the years such as Daniel Ponce De Leon, Adrian Granados, Jason Litzau, Eloy Perez, Vicente Escobedo, Antonio DeMarco, Gavin Rees, Paulie Malignaggi, Ashley Theoplane, Carlos Molina, John Molina Jr., Emmanuel Taylor and Khabib Allakhverdiev. But when stepping up in class against Maidana, Porter, Garcia, Vargas and Pacquiao, he’s fallen short of the mark.
As for Cobbs, he’s also 34 years old, fights out of Las Vegas, and possesses an impressive record of 16-1-1 with 10 Ko’s. He’s boxed 92 rounds since making his pro debut in 2013 following a short amateur career. He stands 5-feet-11-inches tall with a 73-inch reach, so has a five inch height advantage and four-inch edge in reach on Broner. Cobbs also has pretty good power in his fists as 62.5 per cent of his wins have been by stoppage including four of his past six.
His lone defeat came in his last outing to Alexis Rocha in March, 2022 when he was halted in the ninth round and his lone draw was a technical four-round affair against Mario Esparza in 2018 when Esparza was cut by an accidental headbutt. Cobbs’ biggest wins have been against the likes of Ferdinand Kerobyan for the vacant NABF Junior Welterweight Title in 2019, as well as over Hooker.
Cobbs got up from the canvas in the first round to stop Carlos Ortiz Cervantes after six rounds in 2019 for the vacant NABF Welterweight Belt and has also beaten Brad Solomon and Samuel Kotey Neequaye, Estevan Villalobos and Robert Redmond Jr. He will have some ring rust to deal with though as he’s been out of action longer than Broner as this is his first fight in 22 months.
Prediction…
Broner’s work ethic and heart are usually in question as he often lets himself and his fans down. He’s taking on a veteran with a good record and gives up a lot in size here. Cobbs is a durable boxer with decent chin and power and looked great in his last fight against Hooker. Cobbs has a chance to make a name for himself, as do all of Broner’s opponents and you should expect the unexpected when Broner gets in the ring. That being said, I’m still expecting Broner to somehow pull out a win, but a Cobbs victory or draw certainly wouldn’t come as a surprise.
Broner’s experience and power should be the difference.
Play: Broner +125 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Adrien Broner betting • Blair Cobbs betting