One word to describe Adrien Broner might be unconventional. If you ask him a typical question — whatever the subject — chances are you’ll receive an atypical answer.

Broner and unbeaten Jovanie Santiago of Puerto Rico on Thursday took part in a virtual news conference to promote their 140-pound fight Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., which will be televised on Showtime.

A.B. fielded typical questions from host Brian Custer on stage and then reporters via Zoom. Some of his answers were classic A.B.

One journalist, referring to what seems to be Broner’s renewed focus on boxing after a two-year hiatus from the sport, asked him: “What did you learn?”

Broner responded: “I learned I could stop having sex. That’s one of my biggest problems. I like to party, I like f—ing. I had to cut it all out, the partying, the drinking, and just get serious with my career to become that elite fighter, to take back over the sport.”

Custer asked him what he wants to accomplish going forward.

On February 20th, 2021, Jovanie Santiago (14-0-1, 10 KOs) will take part in what is undoubtedly the biggest fight of his career when he squares off against former four-time world champion Adrien Broner. If Adrien Broner is famously and infamously known to most of the boxing world, Santiago resides in the abyss of boxing obscurity. One word to describe Adrien Broner might be unconventional. If you ask him a typical question — whatever the subject — chances are you’ll receive an atypical answer. Broner and unbeaten Jovanie Santiago of Puerto Rico on Thursday took part in a virtual news conference to promote their 140-pound fight Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in. Adrien Broner vs Jovanie Santiago – Live stream, TV channel and timings. Paige Vanzant shows off sexy dance moves to promotes new website Music. 13:19 Festive sing-along. Exhibit A for this reality was the Jan. 19 matchup on Showtime PPV between Manny Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs entering the fight) and Adrien Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Right now I’m just trying to beat COVID. … I want everything to open up, I want people to come back to fights,” he said. “It’s started to feel like a game. This situation (people separated at the news conference) is some b—s—. This ain’t real, having to stay apart, staying out of your face.

“I like to put my hands on people at pressers. This don’t feel real. Once the bell rings everything will go away and we’ll get straight back to business.”

Custer also asked him about a comment made by Santiago that seemed to imply that Broner is nothing special.

“Hey man, at the end of the day, he’s here because of me, you’re here because of me, the whole cast is here because of me. That’s special,” he said. “So Saturday night the only thing that’s going to be special is the ass whooping I’m going to give out. He’ll know then. … He ain’t going to be talking like that after Saturday.”

Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) also was open about his life and goals in a more serious sense.

Custer asked him what made him decide to come back after his extended layoff. And a journalist later asked him why he “retired,” a word he used when he stepped away after his one-sided loss to Manny Pacquiao in January 2019.

“I went through a lot of things, honestly,” he said. “The way I live my life, I went through a lot. One day I just woke up and said, ‘I’m done. I gotta get my s— together in order to change, I have to make a change or I’m going to get caught up in doing the same thing.’ … It’s been a long road to get where I am today and I’m here.”

He then added: “I don’t know how long you’ve worked without taking a break. For me it was from 6 years old to, what, 30? I never took a break from boxing. I thought, ‘You know what? I need a break.’ That’s what I did. Then I was missing boxing and got back into it. And I’ll be back to it Saturday night.”

Broner also said repeatedly that Santiago, an unbeaten Puerto Rican, is no pusher and that his focus is squarely on Saturday night. He also made it clear how determine he is to succeed, revealing fire we haven’t seen in some time.

“I’m ready to put it all on the line,” he said. “I don’t know how he feels I’m willing to die in there, I’m willing to put my life on the line, I’m willing to give it all until I ain’t got s—left.

“I don’t know how far he’s willing to go. I’m willing to say, ‘F— everything. I’m ready to put everything on line.”

Santiago responded through a translator: “I’m ready to die on the line, like they say in Puerto Rico.”

And, while Broner didn’t want to look past Santiago, the 31-year-old former four-division titleholder left no doubt that he’s thinking big in terms of his immediate future. He wants to regain the status he lost long ago.

“I just feel like I’m going to be a world champion again … and again and again and again … until I’m really don with boxing. Yes, I took two years off. I retired to let my body heal and rest. I feel I have what it takes to win more championships in different weight classes so that’s what I’m going to do.”

Then, evidently speaking directly at and near his weight: “Listen, if y’all got a belt, just hold onto it. … That s— is going to be mine. I’m coming to sweep it all up.”

It looks like “The Can Man” still has an eyeball or two watching.

Adrien Broner after a twenty-five-month layoff in the ring, bought with him 288,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. Those folks watching were treated to a rather pedestrian effort and a badly scored, wide decision victory from the former four-division world champ over Jovanie Santiago.

Prior Big Fight Weekend Podcast guest Carlos Toro of Carlos Toro Media tweeted the numbers from last Saturday’s card below.

That number made it the 38th most-watched cable program on Saturday night in that whole 18-49 demo.

Showtime Boxing viewership/ratings (18-49 demo) for the whole card for February 20:
– Adrien Broner vs. Jovanie Santiago: 288,000 viewers/0.11 rating
– Otto Wallin vs. Dominic Breazeale: 272,000 viewers/0.07 rating
– Robert Easter Jr. vs. Ryan Martin: 234,000 viewers/0.05 rating

— Carlos Toro (@CarlosToroMedia) February 23, 2021

38th doesn’t sound good until you factor in a few key points behind it.

The obvious one is the WBC Jr. Lightweight contest between Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez which aired at roughly the same time (Broner was walking into the ring while this was in about the 3rd or 4th round of this one) had the 4th most in cable that night at 895,000 viewers based on the same demographics reported. ESPN, however, is a basic cable channel that has north of 50 million more subscribers than Showtime.

Secondly is the reminder that this is the number they could track with a paid subscription to Showtime from cable providers. I’m not here to tell you how to watch Showtime or any other broadcast illegally. Broner trending #1 late Saturday night clearly shows what he was saying after Broner raised his hand after the fight with the boxing media and next to Brian Custer.

“I only had $13 coming into the fight, but we flip that to $13 mil, so for the weekend, we are popping bottles and having sex. So a lot of things are going to change,” Broner speaking with Brian Custerafter the fight will do that every time.

The third point I wanted to mention was that the number Showtime is an improvement and easily the best one pointed out since the pandemic. That Nielsen number isn’t an exact science or reflection of the total or (stupid) peak viewership or considers those not watching it by streaming means. But that number is a great gauge considering the last known numbers of the past few Showtime shows.

The latest numbers I found that I’m going to put up here for comparison is the Showtime card is the Chris Colbert-Jamie Arboelda back in December averaged 195,000 viewers. The Erickson Lubin-Terrell Gausha bout averaged 122,000 back in September.

Adrien Broner Arrest

While this is a far cry from when Broner faced Jessie Vargas back in 2018 to a split decision draw back when 782,000viewers watched, the eyes still see what Broner is up to.