Ken Porter, father/trainer of Shawn Porter, could be the only man alive fighting to make the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao undercard better than it will likely end up being. A few fighters have made the cut of the undercard and other rumors continue to float around as the details get finalized closer to fight week.
Guys like Jesse Hart, Vasyl Lomachenko, and Chris Pearson appear to be the only certainties at this point, but what the PPV telecast will look like is still a mystery. The aforementioned fighters are talented and capable of producing some fireworks, but their opposition leaves something to be desired. For that reason, the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard looks dreadful, and it doesn’t appear as though it will get better, and we certainly can’t depend on Bob Arum to stack the deck in anyway shape or form.
However, Ken Porter, one of the most honest and genuine figures in boxing, told Thaboxingvoice.com that he and Shawn are preparing to fight on the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard come May 2nd. Now, whether they get the opportunity is still in question, but Ken is doing everything possible to keep his son ready should those aspirations come to fruition.
The first step was getting Shawn back into the gym as quickly as possible. Ken tells Thaboxingvoice.com that Shawn was back in the gym on the Wednesday after his fight with Erick Bone. Shawn was in a somewhat difficult fight with Bone, who didn’t show up to lose if he could help it. However, Shawn ultimately made short work of Bone, leaving the door open to a quick turnaround.
Right now, the Porter team is so adamant about fighting on the May 2nd undercard that they are pretty much in camp and are very conscious of weight. That says a lot because Shawn is an incredible athlete and I have to believe that he could get ready with just two weeks’ notice, but they are making the conscious effort to train as though the fight will take place.
It is one thing to want the exposure that the mega fight will give all fighters involved, but Ken doesn’t want Shawn to make a cameo, he is calling out the division’s best and anyone under the “B” section of welterweight alphabet is on call. The Porter team is willing to do their part to ensure real boxing fans are pleased with Mayweather-Pacquiao from all angles.
Ken says that Berto, Bradley, and Broner are all fights that Shawn would take, and if he can’t get the “B” alphabet then they will drop down to the “A” portion, as in Amir Khan. Ken even suggested to Thaboxingvoice’s Nestor Gibbs that a fight between Shawn and Jessie Vargas could be worked out with a split of some kind going to the promoters. After all, this may be the one and only chance to see Arum and Al Haymon work together, or at least the best chance.
It is easy to call out fighters on social media or in interviews, but Ken has stated that there have been a number of discussions with the parties involved for the May 2nd undercard. These conversations are real, and Porter is being considered, it may come down to whether or not the budget will allow such an extravagant co-main event.
Still, Ken believes where there is a will there is a way and a fight between Shawn and Berto would put the PPV over the top in a dramatic fashion.
“I think Andre Berto and Shawn Porter is a sell out for the Mayweather show. It’d be hot on that show,” Ken told Nestor Gibbs of Thaboxingvoice.com.
Obviously Ken knows that Mayweather-Pacquiao is big enough to do well without any help and Porter on the card against anyone would brighten it for sure, but he also is aware of the public outcry from fans disappointed with the undercard as it stands right now. The Porter team is willing to step up for fans.
“I’ve already had extensive conversations to let them know that Shawn is training, never stopped training, is in excellent shape and maintaining his weight right now to fight May 2nd. We’re already in excellent shape, and you don’t got to worry about us coming in less than 100.”
Ken is even keeping track of the date and time of the May 2nd weigh in on his phone; that is how thorough the Porter team is right now.
Keeping track on his phone for the date and time of the weigh-ins.
The father/son team of Ken and Shawn is one of the few in the sport that has actually worked. Perhaps they have found a winning recipe, or maybe the goals lineup in a way that authenticates their working relationship in a way that can’t be negatively affected. Ken isn’t pushing Shawn to make a quick turnaround for the sake of exposure because Shawn is just as adamant.
Still, there are plenty of opportunities for Shawn to make a big statement this year, and he is prime to do so. The Porter team is willing to make their mark on 2015 in any way possible, but they have their eyes set on May 2nd.
“Right now what we’re aiming for, what we’re training for, what we’re keeping our weight right for is May 2nd.”
