By: Sean Crose
Devon Alexander. Paulie Malignaggi. Adrian Broner. Keith Thurman. Andre Berto. Danny Garcia. Errol Spence Jr. All are well-known names in the crowded boxing sport. All of these are also names of past and present world title holders. In the end, they are all names that rival Shawn Porter. It’s an impressive list, especially in an age of safety-firsts. Porter is not a Twitter troll. Porter is a professional boxer. A good thing. A very good one. And apparently he’s not afraid of anyone. On the eve of Porter’s showdown with Terence Crawford, an Ohio native was once again pitted against one of boxing’s bigger talents.
Although the Crawford-Porter match is one of the most exciting matches of 2021, undefeated WBO champion Crawford is widely expected to win. He has good skill, Crawford, perhaps the best of any of Porter’s opponents by far – and that’s saying something. However, don’t expect Porter to hesitate in the ring. This is a fighter of extreme confidence. He is also one of the most focused and disciplined athletes in the world. If Porter ends up throwing a Crawford party on Saturday night in Las Vegas, it will be an annoyance, but not something so unpleasant. There’s no mistake about it, both men will take it. It is just in their respective natures.
That promises a good battle. Indeed, few would have expected Crawford-Porter to be an idiot. Porter may try to surprise Crawford with a new strategy, but as a rule, the man is a pitbull. Watching his destruction of Paulie Malignaggi years ago is like watching a modern version of the old Jack Dempsey battle. Even in the three fights he’s lost – to Spence, Thurman and Brook respectively – Porter is still a frenetic game. And let’s not forget how difficult some of Porter’s opponents can be to attack.
The truth is that Saturday night could represent a turning point for both men. However, Porter had fewer losses than Crawford. Not only will Crawford’s belt be at stake, but Porter has proven he can take down well and continue to succeed. In a sense, the man’s legacy was secured despite what might have happened inside the ring. It’s good to be Shawn Porter. Why? Because he puts it all on the line again and again. There should be more people like him.
