“That dude hit hard,” Broner said while discussing Maidana. “My whole body went numb. I grabbed him and said, ‘Boy, you’re gonna have to kill me tonight.'”

The comments brought fans back to December 14, 2013, when Maidana handed Broner the first defeat of his career by unanimous decision in San Antonio, Texas. Broner was dropped twice and lost his WBA welterweight title in what many viewed as a stunning upset at the time.

However, the Maidana fight may not have been the beginning of Broner’s decline as much as it was the moment everything finally caught up to him.

Broner entered the bout with a 27-0 record and world titles in three weight classes. Yet there had already been warning signs. His victory over Daniel Ponce de León in 2011 remains one of the more debated decisions of that era, with many fans believing Ponce de León deserved the win. Two years later, Broner edged Paulie Malignaggi by split decision to capture the WBA welterweight title in another fight that divided opinion.

Maidana was simply the first fighter to remove all doubt.

At the same time, Broner’s success outside the ring had accelerated rapidly. By his mid-20s, he had become one of boxing’s biggest personalities, earning significant purses and enjoying the celebrity lifestyle that accompanied his rise. Mansions, expensive cars and frequent partying became part of the public image he embraced.

The talent never completely disappeared. Broner defeated John Molina Jr., won another world title by stopping Khabib Allakhverdiev, and remained a recognizable attraction. But the consistency and discipline that separate very good fighters from great ones often appeared to be missing.

Following the Maidana defeat, Broner went 8-5-1 over the remainder of his career, suffering losses to Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia, Manny Pacquiao and Blair Cobbs, while battling Jessie Vargas to a draw.

That’s why Maidana’s victory remains such a significant moment in Broner’s story.

The Argentine didn’t destroy Broner’s career overnight. Broner still had meaningful moments after that December night in Texas.

But Maidana exposed flaws that had surfaced before and forced Broner to confront them. The adjustments never fully came.

More than a decade later, Broner’s recollection of the punishment he endured serves as a reminder of the night boxing stopped asking whether he was the next Floyd Mayweather and started asking what might have been.