By Tim Fletcher: Former IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter’s father/trainer Kenny Porter says he thinks that WBA World welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Porter (26-0, 22 KOs) will be on the retreat whenever he throws power shots in their fight on March 12 next month at the Mohegan Sun Casino, in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Kenny is familiar with Thurman from both the amateurs and pros, and he knows that Thurman prefers to land sneaky power shots rather than standing in the pocket and trading shots. Thurman is always looking to avoid getting hit by his opponents, and he’s not going to stand in the pocket and let his hands go the way some fighters do.
“If he’s throwing that punch, he’s probably running the other direction at the same time,” Kenny said about Thurman. “I would challenge [Thurman] to come in the ring and fight, but I know he’s not going to fight. I know he will try to outbox us and try to land a slick and unexpected punch.”
I think it is obvious that Thurman is going to try to out-box Porter, and land sneaky shots rather than stand in the pocket and trade punches. Thurman would not even stand in the pocket in his fights against Robert Guerrero, Leonard Bundu and Luis Collazo. Thurman was reluctant to stand in front of those fighters for fear of getting hit. If Thurman was not willing to stand in front of thoe fighters, then I think it makes sense not to expect him to go toe-to-toe with Porter.
Thurman has been talking a lot about how he plans to try to score a knockout over Porter. However, it’s more likely that Thurman will be looking to outbox Porter by using a hit and run style of fighting. When Porter does draw close to Thurman, you can expect him to hold and stall out the round.
“He[Thurman] knows speed and won’t come in the ring trying to land a significant shot from the beginning,” Kenny said.
.@ShowtimeShawnP shows training device his dad says they got from a Ukrainian boxer @News3LV #ThurmanPorter pic.twitter.com/gxmtIa8IRO
— Amber Dixon (@AmberNews3LV) February 18, 2016
Thurman will do what he always does in looking to land pot shots, fight on the retreat while throwing left hooks, and look to land counter shots. That’s how Thurman always fights. The only time that Thurman is aggressive is when he fights a guy that has very little chance of beating him like with Jan Zaveck, Collazo and Robert Guerrero. Against fighters that have punching power, Thurman is very passive and cautious.
Porter will need to put pressure on Thurman in the same way he did in his fights against Adrien Broner, Devon Alexander, Erick Bone and Kell Brook. Porter will need to make sure that he fights through any clinch attempts that Thurman makes in the fight because I have a feeling that he’ll use that tactic to try and shutdown Porter’s offense in this fight. He doesn’t have the inside fighting skills that Porter has going for him, so I expect him t clinch any chance he can get in this fight. It could get ugly.
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