LOS ANGELES -- One thing is certain, boxing fans love unification fights. In an era with too many belts and too many champions it's always nice to see two champions put their belts on the line. Fans will be treated to a unification bout on Sept. 28 when IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. takes on WBC champ Shawn Porter on Fox pay-per-view.
Once again Spence (25-0, 21 KOs) will have a size advantage over his opponent. Although this time that size advantage won't be nearly as significant as it was in his fight with Mikey Garcia. Spence uses his jab as a measuring stick for his power punches and he certainly has plenty of pop on his punches. Both his left hand and right hook can do damage and Texan fights well from both the pocket and the outside. While he fights well from the outside Spence is at his best when he's bullying his opponents to the body and he is highly adept at breaking his opponents down over the course of a fight. Defensively Spence isn't elite and you can certainly catch him with plenty of leather but he has been improving and has always shown a strong chin.
This fight will be Spence's fourth defense of his IBF title. He picked that strap up by knocking out Kell Brook in 2017 and has since defended it successfully against Lamont Peterson, Carlos Ocampo, and most recently, Garcia. With most expecting Spence to beat Porter talks have already shifted to a potential showdown between Spence and Manny Pacquiao. While that would be a fun fight most fans are hoping that Spence and Terence Crawford decide to cross promotional lines and give fans the best fight possible in the welterweight division. Before a fight with the legendary Pacquiao or arguably the best welterweight on the planet in Crawford, Spence will first need to handle business against the always tough Porter.
If Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) wasn't a professional boxer he might be playing running back or free safety for your favorite football team. He remains one of the toughest and most athletic fighters in boxing. Unfortunately his skills don't match his will. Porter's energy tank never seems to run out, or even all that low and he loves to press the action. He's shown a solid chin and a good right hand but sometimes he smothers his own offense. Even with that tendency to smother his own attack Porter is still at his best on the inside where he can bang away to the body. The WBC champ also loves to clinch because it allows him to impose his often superior strength and wear opponents down. In recent fights Porter has attempted to box more but that style doesn't really suit him and he's at his best when he's being a bulldog in the pocket.
Despite being the current WBC welterweight champ Porter just doesn't feel like a champion. Maybe it's because he's not really an elite fighter. Maybe it's because he's so clearly not at the same level as Spence or Crawford. Yet Porter is always hanging around and always seems to get big fights. The only two losses of his career came against Brook and Keith Thurman but many felt he also lost to Yordenis Ugas. His win over Danny Garcia was also a close fight but Porter beat them both along with fighters like Paulie Malignaggi, Andre Berto, and Adrien Broner. None of those guys are Spence though and Porter is going to have his hands full against him.
The pressure heading into this fight will fall on Spence's shoulders. He's the fighter most people are expecting to win and he's the one whose name is being brought up as a potential Pacquiao opponent. Spence is also the fighter that could be one part of a true super fight should he ever get in the ring with Crawford. Look for Spence to stay busy with his jab as he looks to keep Porter on the outside where he can flex his superior boxing skills. When he does get inside he will go to the body like he always does and he won't have a hard time catching Porter. As for Porter, he needs to abandon his recent tactic of trying to box more and just get back to his bullying ways. Porter should look to get inside, work the body, and clinch Spence as often as he can in an attempt to tire him out. The problem for Porter in this fight is that if he does get inside he will probably be eating a lot of punches from Spence.
PREDICTION: Shawn Porter is a fine fighter and he has excellent stamina and is certainly a tough customer. Porter will come to win and will give it his all but none of that will be enough. Errol Spence is going to stop or even drop Porter but he is going to beat him convincingly by the way of unanimous decision.
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| Spence, catching Mikey Garcia with a straight left hand |
This fight will be Spence's fourth defense of his IBF title. He picked that strap up by knocking out Kell Brook in 2017 and has since defended it successfully against Lamont Peterson, Carlos Ocampo, and most recently, Garcia. With most expecting Spence to beat Porter talks have already shifted to a potential showdown between Spence and Manny Pacquiao. While that would be a fun fight most fans are hoping that Spence and Terence Crawford decide to cross promotional lines and give fans the best fight possible in the welterweight division. Before a fight with the legendary Pacquiao or arguably the best welterweight on the planet in Crawford, Spence will first need to handle business against the always tough Porter.
If Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) wasn't a professional boxer he might be playing running back or free safety for your favorite football team. He remains one of the toughest and most athletic fighters in boxing. Unfortunately his skills don't match his will. Porter's energy tank never seems to run out, or even all that low and he loves to press the action. He's shown a solid chin and a good right hand but sometimes he smothers his own offense. Even with that tendency to smother his own attack Porter is still at his best on the inside where he can bang away to the body. The WBC champ also loves to clinch because it allows him to impose his often superior strength and wear opponents down. In recent fights Porter has attempted to box more but that style doesn't really suit him and he's at his best when he's being a bulldog in the pocket.
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| Porter, connecting with a jab against Yordenis Ugas |
The pressure heading into this fight will fall on Spence's shoulders. He's the fighter most people are expecting to win and he's the one whose name is being brought up as a potential Pacquiao opponent. Spence is also the fighter that could be one part of a true super fight should he ever get in the ring with Crawford. Look for Spence to stay busy with his jab as he looks to keep Porter on the outside where he can flex his superior boxing skills. When he does get inside he will go to the body like he always does and he won't have a hard time catching Porter. As for Porter, he needs to abandon his recent tactic of trying to box more and just get back to his bullying ways. Porter should look to get inside, work the body, and clinch Spence as often as he can in an attempt to tire him out. The problem for Porter in this fight is that if he does get inside he will probably be eating a lot of punches from Spence.
PREDICTION: Shawn Porter is a fine fighter and he has excellent stamina and is certainly a tough customer. Porter will come to win and will give it his all but none of that will be enough. Errol Spence is going to stop or even drop Porter but he is going to beat him convincingly by the way of unanimous decision.
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