By: Sean Crose
Wearing sunglasses and a black and orange tracksuit, Shawn Porter spoke to reporters on Saturday after his loss to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas.
“I am about to retire,” he said. “I was prepared to announce my retirement tonight, win yes, lose. or draw. Even if it was a draw, we went on a date, they told us it would have to be done again. I won’t do that again. I am announcing my retirement right now. ”
This news was met with loud applause and well wishes from those present. Porter, a former IBF weightlifter, has fought his entire career against someone who actually had top competition. Nobody asked for more in Porter on Saturday night after Porter was stopped by the excellent Crawford in the seventh round in their very close game.
“One of the people I admire in this sport is Andre Ward,” Porter said. “I like every word Dre says. I really admire him and everything he’s done in this sport. We’re in the back room doing Tyson Fury – Wild Deontay 3. Someone comes up to him… and they say, ‘Cmon champion, you know you have one of you left, and he (Ward) said’ why can’t I only have one more left in me? ‘ He said it all right there. Why can’t I just have one more in me and save it? ”
Porter will leave the ring 31-4-1 at 34, with his health largely intact. “I was lucky enough to be in some really big matches against some really good people,” Porter reflects, “and always keep my health up at the end of the night. With that, I knew that Errol Spence Jr would be my last fight. I knew it in 2017, I think so, when he won the championship and I said he would be the last one I fought.”
However, after the Spence loss, Porter “felt like there was something else and something else that was Terence Crawford.” This time, however, Porter was determined to keep his word to himself. “I said win, lose, or draw. it’s not important. I’ve devoted myself to this sport so much from training to competition, and then to coaching even more. ”
While he’s sure to be missed by fight fans – he’s been one of the most entertaining, brave, and kind-hearted boxers in years now – Porter has good reason to step into a new chapter in life. “After you fight everyone at the top, what else can you do?” he asked eloquently. “I’m not going to be a janitor… .that’s not the life I want to live. I never wanted to live the life of a boxer who fought in his forties.” And so the man named Showtime is leaving the ring.
“Now is the time,” he said.
