By: Hans Themistode
At this point, just about everyone who holds a world title in the welterweight division should be preparing themselves for an inevitable showdown with Shawn Porter.
The former two-time 147-pound titlist is fresh off a one-sided win against fringe contender Sebastian Formella on August 22nd. With the win in his back pocket, Porter will play the role of a fan this weekend as unified champion Errol Spence Jr. and two-division belt holder Danny Garcia battle it out at the AT&T Stadium, in Arlington Texas.
Having faced both men, Porter, 33, doesn’t care who comes out with the victory. All he’s concerned with is facing either the winner or, another belt holder who could be forced into a showdown with him next.
“I’m in a very blessed position,” said Porter on The Jake Asman Show. “I am the mandatory for the WBO title held by Terence Crawford and I’m also the mandatory challenger for the IBF and WBC titles which will be carried by one fighter leaving the ring this weekend. It’s really just a matter of figuring out who is going to be next. Is it going to be Terence Crawford or is it going to be the winner of Danny Garcia and Errol Spence Jr. I have no doubt that it’s going to be one of the three guys in my next fight. It’ll most likely be in the early part of next year.”
Should Spence Jr. walk away from his contest against Garcia with his world titles still draped around his shoulders, that would set up a rematch with Porter. In September of 2019, the Ohio native dropped a very close split decision to Spence Jr. and in the process, he watched his WBC title slip through his hands. Since then, he has shouted for an immediate rematch.
Should Garcia upset the odds and strip Spence Jr. of his titles this weekend, Porter would also welcome a chance to run things back with him as well. Roughly one year before his contest with Spence Jr., Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) would squeak by Garcia to become a two-time world champion.
Matchups with both fighters in the main event this weekend, along with showdowns against Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas and Kell Brook have all taken place. While he isn’t opposed to running through that same gauntlet again, he would much rather take on a new face instead.
“Honestly, I’ll fight whoever but the preference is Terence Crawford simply because you guys have not seen me against Terence. Styles make fights and now my style needs to be set up with Terence Crawford.”
The opportunity to become a three-time champion is a matter of if, not when, considering his placement in three of the four sanctioning bodies. But at this present time, Porter isn’t comfortable with directing the conversation toward his own career goals. Instead, he shifted focus and spoke on the importance of this weekend’s welterweight showdown and the immediate aftermath that is sure to take place because of it.
“This is a historic fight,” explained Porter. “I think this is a fight right now that will kind of decide the fate of the welterweight division moving forward.”
