Brash Broner taking on Mayweather traits, more notes

Consider: Earlier this week, at a press conference to promote his WBC lightweight title defense against Gavin Rees (Saturday, 10:30 pm, HBO), Broner was at his best. He sat in Rees's seat on the podium, toyed with his placard and spent the bulk of the event pretending not to know Rees's name.

"It's not a gimmick," Broner said. "It's not fake. It's not a game. I don't put on a show for the cameras. You might take it as an act, but this is just me."

Broner's oversized personality is one of a growing number of reasons many have him pegged as boxing's next big star. Broner, 23, has undeniable talent, which has shined the most in recent fights. In July, Broner toyed with Vincente Escobedo, stopping him in the fifth round. And in November, in his biggest fight to date, Broner destroyed 135-pound titleholder Antonio DeMarco over eight rounds. Both fights surpassed one million viewers on HBO, reinforcing his appeal.

"I'm a professional entertainer," Broner (25-0) said. "I love to entertain. I love to put on a show. I'm a legal bank robber. The way I make these fights look, you don't think I'm robbing a bank? It's easy money."

"I know people don't take me seriously sometimes. I was always told that if everybody likes you, then somebody's lying. You're going to have people that like you and some people that dislike you."

Broner had hoped to be fighting fellow titleholder Ricky Burns on Saturday, but Burns priced himself out of the fight. Instead, Broner gets Rees (37-1-1), a former 140-pound champion who won't be hard to find. There are plenty of calls for Broner to move up to 140-pounds, where there is a deeper pool of challenges, but for now Broner says he isn't in any rush. For now, he is content to continue campaigning as a lightweight, dominating what he firmly calls his era.

"I'm always motivated and it isn't about the money," Broner said. "I know that's going to be there. I'm worried about my legacy. I want to be the best boxer ever. That's why I do things that people haven't done before. Saturday night is going to be fun. I've been boxing for so long. I've seen so many styles. It takes me a round or two to adjust to a certain style. You never know what your opponent will bring to the table. People think I'm overlooking this guy, but I respect every boxer 110 percent."

Wladimir Klitschko-Bryant Jennings gaining steam

Unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko is closing in on a deal to defend his titles against U.S. heavyweight prospect Bryant Jennings, multiple sources told SI.com. The targeted date is May 4.

Finalizing Klitschko-Jennings will depend on the involvement of HBO or Showtime. Klitschko (59-3) is counting on Jennings (16-0), a fast-rising prospect who blossomed into a well-known contender fighting regularly on NBC Sports Network last year, to draw the interest of one of the two top premium networks. If HBO or Showtime are interested -- a source says HBO is -- Jennings will be the opponent. If not, Klitschko will turn to Italian heavyweight Francesco Pianeta, in a broadcast that will likely be shown in the U.S. on Epix and EpixHD.com.

The date is notable because it is when pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather has announced he plans to return to the ring. However, there is a growing sense in the industry that Mayweather, who has yet to name an opponent, won't be ready to fight in May. One scenario is that one of the premium networks buys Klitschko-Jennings and makes a split site doubleheader with Saul Alvarez, who is also expected to return on May 4. In interviews, Alvarez says his opponent will be undefeated titleholder Austin Trout.

HBO has used a Klitschko fight to boost a major event before: Last September, HBO bought Vitali Klitschko's title defense against Manuel Carr, which was shown on the undercard of Andre Ward's super middleweight title defense against Chad Dawson.

Adamek passes on title eliminator

Heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek has elected not to face Kubrat Pulev, removing himself from an IBF title eliminator fight that could have led to a matchup with unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

In a statement, Adamek cited a more lucrative opportunity in Poland.

"I have been offered an opportunity to fight in Poland for far more money than I would get for fighting Kubrat Pulev," Adamek said. "Meaning no disrespect to Pulev, he has never held a major title and never headlined a televised card. Any money generated by the promotion would, for the most part, be generated by my popularity. I owe it to my family to engage in the most financially rewarding bouts, and engaging in a bout with Kubrat Pulev at this time simply does not make financial sense.

"I have spoken with the president of the IBF, Daryl Peoples, and informed him that, for the above reasons, I have withdrawn from the IBF box-off. I also thanked the IBF for the support it has shown me and the sport of boxing over the past years."

Representatives from Main Events and Sauerland Event had discussed a deal, but the money was never good enough for Adamek to accept a fight with Pulev, a dangerous heavyweight with virtually no fan base. At 36, and clearly in decline, Adamek preferred to cash in on a few more lucrative fights. He gives up a chance to become Klitschko's mandatory, but with the heavyweight division empty of big names, he could get a title shot against Klitschko down the road anyway.

Meteor strike in Russia stuns Sergey Kovalev

On Thursday, a meteor the size of school bus and brighter than the sun hurtled from outer space towards Chelyabinsk, Russia at a speed of 40,000 miles per hour, crashing into the rural Russian town and creating a blast the equivalent of 300,000 tons of TNT, according to NASA. An estimated 1,200 people were injured and 3,000 buildings were damaged in the explosion.

Light heavyweight contender Sergey Kovalev is from Chelyabinsk and was stunned by the disaster.

"I was shocked to find out what happened last night in my home town Chelyabinsk," Kovelev said. "The news shook not just Russia, but the whole world. I contacted my family and friends as soon I heard about it. Everyone was OK, just scared because they did not know what happened. In the Ural mountain region we never have any kind of Mother Nature disasters. When the meteor shower started exploding in the sky and hit, the earth start shaking. My family said people got very scared and did not know what to do."

"I am thankful [that] no one was killed. I thank God my family and friends were safe. I am very sorry for the people in my hometown who were injured and suffered distress from this natural disaster."

"I am grateful to all of the people who have contacted me and my promoters to express their concern."

Five Questions...with junior welterweight contender Kendall Holt

SI.com IBF junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson, who you will face on Feb. 22, tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. In your opinion, should he still have a title?

Kendall Holt: Absolutely not. Anyone who gets caught using drugs should be stripped of their title and suspended. People's lives are in danger. PED's are out there, but the only time i think about it is when a reporter asks me. Because no matter what, I still have to go in and fight. I can't let the possibility that someone could be using something bother me. If they are on it or not, I still have to execute the game plan.

SI.com: You said recently your explosiveness is back. What does that mean?

KH: It means my speed and power are there together. My punches are fast, and they come out of nowhere. It hasn't been like that in some years. I had surgery back in August and the rehab went very well. I'm completely healthy, and it makes me a better fighter because the confidence is there, and I know I won't hold back. Before I was second guessing myself. Not anymore.

SI.com: You sparred with Shane Mosley in this camp. What did you get out of that?

KH: Shane came through for me, big time. Being around him was a confidence-builder, period. For him to take time to come and spar with me meant a lot. Not only to spar but afterwards give me feedback and some insight into what i can do better, what I can add to my game. Little tricks.

SI.com: Should Shane make a comeback?

KH: Absolutely. Shane can do what he wants. He is always in shape. Whatever transpires that made him lose focus or lose confidence in the past, he has that back. He is still fast, still has the movement, still can knock a building down. I don't know if he just didn't want to do it before, but he is showing he can do it right now. He can rumble with the best of them.

SI.com: What's your biggest advantage against Peterson?

KH: My experience, my speed, and my power. He has fought a couple of power punchers but he has been down to lesser punchers than me. I'm confident. not too many people that can stand up to my power. If he does, so be it. I can win a decision. It's fair to say that in the past, I lost focus quite a bit. Not this time. I had a real training camp away from home. I'm ready. This is life and death right now. I'm going in that ring prepared to die. It can change my life, can change my two kids' life. There is nothing I won't do to win

Ten Things I Think, and yes I'm ripping off Peter King

10. I think Saul Alvarez is making a mistake taking on Austin Trout in his next fight. This is an important fight for Alvarez: Win, and it's likely his next opponent will be Mayweather, a fight that could be worth north of $10 million. Lose and, well, that fight goes out the door. Trout is a crafty southpaw coming off a lopsided decision win over Miguel Cotto in December. A safer -- and perhaps more entertaining -- opponent would have been Alfredo Angulo. Alvarez, like Cotto, may live to regret messing with Trout.

9. I think I'll be interested to see how Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his father, Floyd Sr., coexist as fighter and trainer again. Earlier this week Mayweather tweeted a picture of father and son together in the gym, writing that Floyd Sr. would be training him for his upcoming fight. The two have a checkered past that includes some well-publicized disputes, perhaps none bigger than in 2011, when Mayweather threw his father out of his gym following an expletive-filled tirade that was captured by HBO's 24/7 cameras.

Mayweather Sr. is a well-credentialed trainer and was the driving force behind his son's success early in his career. But Senior has a habit of working on his own schedule, while Floyd Jr. is maniacal with his training habits, often working out in the early hours of the morning. Given the volatility of the relationship, it's natural to question whether these two strong personalities can work together.

8. I think I hope this is the start of a meaningful year for featherweight Gary Russell. Russell is one of boxing's most exciting prospects, but he has been brought along painfully slow, with several opponents not being selected until just a few weeks before the fight. There is no need for Russell to be thrown in with the best 126-pounders right now, but he must start facing some legitimate competition this year.

7. I think I think the exact same thing about Deontay Wilder.

6. I think Cornelius Bundrage's 154-pound title defense against Ishe Smith is one of the worst headliners of any premium network show I've ever seen. Bundrage-Smith was supposed to be the co-feature on the card headlined by Devon Alexander and Kell Brook. But when Alexander was forced to withdraw with a biceps injury, Showtime elevated Bundrage-Smith to the main event. Showtime would have been better off scrubbing the show. That's a bad fight, perfumed only by the fact that a title is on the line.

5. I think Juan Manuel Marquez is kidding himself if he thinks anyone believes he isn't ready, willing and able to fight Manny Pacquiao in September. Just look at the boxing landscape: There is not a single opponent out there who can match the money Marquez would make for a fifth Pacquiao fight. But indulging Marquez for a moment, if Top Rank is looking for a replacement, look no further than Brandon Rios, who will face Mike Alvarado in a rematch of SI.com's 2012 Fight of the Year in March. Rios-Pacquiao is a fun, fun fight.

4. I think I wasn't overly impressed by Juan Manuel Lopez's ninth round TKO win over Aldimar Silva Santos earlier this month. At this point, Lopez is what he is: A strong, entertaining puncher who gets hit a lot. Not much is going to change that.

3. I think Vitali Klitschko needs to make a deal to fight David Haye already. It's hard to believe Klitschko, who is fond of saying his training camps are like a vacation, walking away with the kind of money he can make to fight Haye. Klitschko is also still bugged at Haye's constant jabs at him and his brother. In Europe, Klitschko-Haye is still a very big fight.

2. I think Matthew Macklin and Daniel Geale is a good fight for both guys. Macklin is a credible but not elite opponent for Geale to fight in the U.S., while Geale has a piece of the middleweight title that has eluded Macklin his entire career. Mandatories could get in the way, but if it's possible, it's a nice fight.

1. I think I like Top Rank's decision to hold Nonito Donaire-Guillermo Rigondeaux at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Promoters can pocket a few extra dollars by putting fights in Las Vegas or casinos in California. But the media attention fights get in major venues in New York is bigger than anywhere else, and Radio City is as cool a venue as you can get.