By: Hans Themistode
Shawn Porter’s resume speaks for itself.
The 33-year-old welterweight contender is highly respected in his weight class and has shared the ring with the best of them. Yet, despite wrapping gold around his waist on two separate occasions and regardless of Porter picking up notable wins against the likes of Danny Garcia, Devon Alexander, and Yordenis Ugas, most expect him to fall woefully short in his next ring appearance.
On November 20th, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Porter will go toe to toe with WBO 147 pound titlist, Terence Crawford. With the number of world titles Crawford has aggregated throughout his career, he’s regarded by most as the best fighter in the world. Due to that distinction, Porter is viewed by many as having little to no chance at pulling off the upset win.
But while Porter has openly accepted that he is the underdog heading in, that doesn’t mean he isn’t brimming with confidence.
“I have what it takes to beat him, don’t sleep on that, believe that. I do.”
In spite of the odds, Porter is expected to be the biggest test of Crawford’s career. Since making the move seven pounds north to the welterweight division, Crawford has been both impressive and disappointing. While he’s managed to register stoppage wins in every single one of his 147 pound bouts, the Omaha, Nebraska native has fought less than stellar competition.
Most recently, Crawford was last seen in the ring dismantling long-faded former champion, Kell Brook. Although Brook appeared to be in terrific shape, he provided little to no resistance and was subsequently stopped in the fourth round.
Regardless of whom the betting public is choosing as the victor on the night, in the end, Porter is firmly of the belief that the combination of himself and Crawford in the ring will lead to nothing short of a terrific showdown.
“When I say the fight between me and Terence Crawford is going to be great, it’s gonna be great.”