By: Hans Themistode
Shawn Porter has a lot to be proud of. From beating guys such as Devon Alexander, Adrien Broner and Danny Garcia, to wrapping welterweight gold around his waist on two separate occasions, if Porter were to walk away from the sport of boxing right now, he would be satisfied with his career.
Almost.
For as much as the Ohio native has accomplished, he still believes there’s more left to do. Of course, the now 33-year-old would enjoy nabbing another world title, but more than anything, he simply appreciates sharing the ring with great fighters. While he’s fought just about everyone in the division, if he were to hang up the gloves without facing a certain pound for pound star, his career would feel somewhat incomplete.
“It’s Terence Crawford,” said Porter on the Ak and Barak Show. “It’s something about him and that fight. I think that fight is great. There’s a big argument between who’s better? Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr., so that’s why for me it’s like okay, you’ve been in the ring with Errol Spence Jr., now, go get Terence Crawford.”
The argument that Porter alludes too, feels like a never-ending one as both Crawford and Spence Jr. have made absolutely no traction in actually making their showdown come to reality. But while most of the world continues to fulminate over who is the best welterweight in the world between the pair, Porter begins to sport an incredulous look on his face.
After making Spence Jr.’s life a living hell for 12 rounds during their showdown in 2019, Porter knows that he’s just as good as the unified titlist.
“I already fought Errol Spence Jr. and I think that everybody still feels like he’s the best welterweight in the world. I think in my attempt to beat him, that if you still think that he is the best welterweight in the world, Shawn Porter is not even a half step behind him. Shawn Porter is running pace and pace.”
Regardless of whether he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Spence Jr. and Crawford, Porter is knocking on the door of proving that he’s just as good. At the moment, the Ohio product holds the number one position in the WBC and WBO sanctioning bodies. Spence Jr., of course, not only holds the IBF title, but also the WBC. Although a rematch is a route he could go down, Porter would rather chase after Crawford instead.
Despite the pair holding a very close friendship with one another, Porter has stated on numerous occasions that he would have no issue shoving that to the side in order to make the fight happen. In his attempt to get Crawford in the ring, Porter has been met with some resistance. Mostly in the form of dollar signs as promoter Bob Arum has announced that he would not offer Porter more than one million dollars for the fight.
Those numbers though, while eye-catching to most around the world, especially amid a pandemic, were mere pennies to Porter as he has called the offer “disrespectful.”
In spite of the fact that they are apparently worlds apart in terms of money, team Porter is still quietly working behind the scenes to get Arum to add a few more zero’s at the end of Porter’s paycheck.
“I have not given up on that fight. I’ve had conversations with my dad like hey, go get that fight. That’s the fight for me. My dad’s working.”
