Welterweight Shawn Porter(24-1-1, 15KO’s) will step back in the ring for the first time on March 13th for the first time since losing his IBF World title to Kell Brook last August. His opponent will be 34-year-old Roberto Garcia(36-3, 23KO’s), who has mostly campaigned at light middleweight, in a ten-rounder in Ontario, California.
Shawn’s father and trainer Ken Porter spoke with Thaboxingvoice.com a fortnight before his son’s return to action and was optimistic of a successful return after some long and hard preparations.
“I’m feeling good about what he’s been doing; he’s been working out for quite a few months, basically maybe two weeks after our last fight which was against Brook. He’s been working and so we just needed an opponent and after we got one we started cranking it up.”
Ken was more specific in terms of what he and Shawn hoped to achieve in this fight having suffered their first professional loss together last time out, an outcome largely unexpected if not quite an upset. Ken knows they have to make a statement this time if they want to get straight back in the mix with the best of the division.
“Absolutely it’s about being dominant, it’s about being spectacular, magnificent you know. The first ‘Premier Boxing Champions’ on Spike TV, it’s the first time, we want it to be a memorable night for us, our name, we want it to be the fight of the night and we’re looking for big fights right after that. We have absolutely no problem fighting the top guys in our weight class, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Two of the best welterweights around will be fighting the week before Shawn’s return as Keith Thurman defends his WBA World title against Robert Guerrero in Las Vegas on a decent card that also features Adrien Broner vs John Molina seven pound south at light welterweight.
Both shows are the first of many to come and are the brainchild Al Haymon, who has manufactured the return of boxing to network television in the States as well as managing nearly two hundred fighters, many of whom will be showcased on events such as these.
Ken Porter has his eye on Thurman vs. Guerrero as a possible route back to the top of the division.
“We’d love to have the winner, we expect to be there and watching that fight ringside closely. Obviously we got business to take care of a week later so you know, that’s where our focus is right now, so we’re not going to be calling anybody out that night or anything, we got business to take care of, but we’d love to have the winner of it.”
When asked who he feels will likely come out the winner in such an evenly matched contest, Ken was decidedly non-committal while showing his respect for both men.
“You could give Keith an edge for youth and power, but then you could come right back and give Guererro an edge with experience and being a consummate professional fighter whose gone from weight class to next weight class, and of course, I love the father/son combo they got going on.”
Ken is right to focus on his son’s imminent challenge against Garcia as Shawn needs to address some of the flaws that were so evident when he lost the title to Brook. Mainly that he looked as if he ran out of ideas once he could not physically bully the man in front of him. He may be able to maraud his way through this one in his usual fashion and look impressive, but he needs more facets to his game if he is to succeed against the top dogs at 147.lb.
