Broner beats Granados by split decision
Adrien Broner (33-2, 24 KOs) scored a 10 round split decision over Adrian Granados (18-5-2, 11 KOs) on Saturday night at the Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Both had their moments and traded punches throughout the fight but Broner, fighting in his hometown, won 97-93 and 96-94 on two scorecards while the third judge had it 97-93 for Granados.
The bout was originally contracted at 142 pounds but a few weeks ago Broner insisted it be changed to the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
Broner landed the sharper, more accurate blows but Granados, a Chicago fighter of Mexican descent, outworked him in most of the rounds.
However, Broner did a good job of preventing Granados from landing his punches by holding and wrestling him on the inside and finished strong with some good shots in the 10th, including a powerful combination in the final seconds of the bout.
Broner, who has won world titles in four weight divisions from super featherweight to welterweight, was returning from a 10-month layoff after being stripped of his WBA light welterweight title for failing to make weight for a defence against Ashley Theophane in April, which he won by 9th round TKO.
Also on the card, former light welterweight world champion Lamont Peterson (35-3-1, 18 KOs) dethroned defending WBA 'regular' welterweight champion David Avanesyan (22-2-1, 11 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision.
The American veteran got the better of Russia's Avanesyan, outworking him throughout, and was awarded scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113.
Peterson is now in position to challenge the winner of the unification fight between WBA 'super' champion Keith Thurman and WBC titleholder Danny Garcia, who meet on March 4.