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Shaquille O’Neal Echoes Adrien Broner in Tribute to Late Coach Mike Stafford Before Championship Run

Kishore R
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Shaquille O’Neal Echoes Adrien Broner in Tribute to Late Coach Mike Stafford Before Championship Run

The boxing world is bracing itself for Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner making his grand return in June. As he takes on the colorful, Blair ‘The Flair’ Cobbs, NBA great, Shaquille O’Neal has patted him on the back for his emotional tribute to his late coach – Mike Stafford.

Recently Broner put up a post as a homage to his coach Mike Stafford and ‘Shaq’ couldn’t help but notice this and shared the boxer’s tribute on his Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adrien AB Broner (@adrienbroner)

In fact, the 34-year-old boxer’s post was an emotional rollercoaster for fans and boxing pundits alike, enough to make a grown man cry. Posting a video collage of the legendary boxing coach, Broner summed up his career where Stafford was in his corner watching over the young boxer through thick and thin.

Shaq was visibly touched by the gesture and respected the fact that Broner wanted to dedicate his return to glory to his coach.

“R.I.P Coach Mike this next run is for you I love you to death I will be champion again!!!!!”

As mentioned above, Adrien Broner is set to take on Blair Cobbs on June 7  at the Seminole Hard Rock in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He will look to get to winning aways right off the gate but it’s easier said than done.

That said, Broner seems to have just that extra bit of motivation.

Adrien Broner vs Flair Cobbs: ‘The Problem’ vows to win for late coach

Ever since his crushing defeat to Manny ‘Pac-man’ Pacquiao in 2019, Adrien Broner hasn’t been himself. Though he returned to the ring twice after that, the flashy flamboyant boxer has never quite looked the same.

However, as he returns to the ring once more, Broner seems as dedicated as ever, with some extra motivation in the memories of his coach.

As for Cobbs, who has been inactive since 2022, this is a dream fight. Fighting Broner, a fighter he has always looked up to is a dream come true and a proving ground for the 34-year-old southpaw.

With the whole community eager for Broner’s return, the question remains- Can he make them proud, and most importantly can he keep his word?

About the author

Kishore R

Kishore R

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Kishore is a UFC writer at The SportsRush. It was a YouTube video of 1989’s Fight of the Year bout between Roberto Duran and Iran Barkley that got him hooked on the thrill of the gladiator sport. Later that insatiable thirst and yearning for controlled violence got him to the defunct PRIDE FC, which was the king of MMA promotions till the Ultimate Fighting Championship broke into the scene. Along with his undying passion for the sport and his experience as a writer, penning more than a thousand articles, Kishore is amalgamating his technical understanding of the sport with his stellar storytelling prowess. From Fedor’s unrivaled reign to the newest crowning of Alex Pereira, he has been religiously following the sport and wishes to see Tony Ferguson bounce back and showcase his old swagger - “IT’S TONY TIME!”

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