By Sean Jones: Shawn Porter is still banging the drum to get a fight against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford despite it being apparent that there’s no interest from Top Rank promoter Bob Arum in making that match.
Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) would have already agreed to a fight with Crawford if he were given an offer to his liking, but he’s been complaining about being offered just $1 million.
It’s a bad time for Arum to make a fight between these two non-stars because he can’t stage the fight in front of a live crowd right now due to the pandemic.
If that’s what the true offer was by Arum, it’s understandable why he offered that little. Crawford vs. Porter will NOT sell on pay-per-view.
Arum obviously doesn’t want to take a bath on another Crawford fight, especially now that he’s heading towards the end of his contract.
Porter doesn’t think too much about the talented Cuban fighter Yordenis Ugas 26-4, 12 KOs) being elevated to WBA ‘Super’ welterweight champion last week after the World Boxing Association demoted the previous champ Manny Pacquiao to ‘Champion in Recess’ because of his inactivity.
With Ugas on the verge of getting a massive payday in a unification fight against IBF/WCB welterweight champion Errol Spence, Porter isn’t giving Ugas much of a chance of winning that fight.
Yordenis Ugas won’t beat Spence, says Porter
“I did not think that Ugas could become a champion at welterweight,” said Shawn Porter to AK & Barak Show. “Of the top guys that had belts, I didn’t think that he had what it takes to beat any of those guys.
“I’m not trying to disrespect him and say that he’s been rewarded a belt or anything like that. I’m happy to see him become a world champion.
‘I understand who Ugas is, and I respect him as a person. When I beat him, I looked at who else he could fight to become a world champion.
“I said if he can get down to 140, he’ll become a world champion and live out his dreams of being a Cuban world champion, but if he stays at 147, I don’t think he can ever do it.
“So I’m happy. They put Manny Pacquiao in ‘Recess,’ which elevated Ugas to champion. Now you’re a world champion because we made you a world champion.
“Who are you going to fight to ‘I’m a world champion.’ If’ it’s going to be Errol Spence Jr, I don’t think he’s going to beat Errol Spence Jr. He’s going to be right there in the line of fire. He does not have any movement, no left or right.
“He’s going to get hit with everything that Errol Spence has, and then he’s going to lose the belt. He is a world champion now, but he’s got to fight somebody he can beat,” said Porter.
Ugas, 34, will do fine just getting the fight with Spence, as he’ll make a ton of money, and might even win if he comes up with the perfect game plan. You can’t count out a talented fighter like Ugas.
The way that Ugas worked Porter over in 2019, you can argue that a fight between him and Spence should be 50-50. Ugas totally dominated Porter and made him look bad.
Porter not sure who Ugas can beat
“I don’t know what top guys at welterweight he can beat to say, ‘Hey, you guys [WBA] rewarded me champion, and now I’ve solidified it against such and such.’ I don’t know who such and such could be,” said Porter.
“Errol Spence Jr is pay-per-view worthy,” said Porter when asked if a fight between Spence and Ugas is a PPV worthy fight.
“He commands the audience now, even though he’s getting in the ring with someone that doesn’t have the type of reputation that he has and the stardom that he has, I think that Errol Spence alone is a pay-per-view fighter.
“So I think that it [Spence vs. Ugas] could be pay-per-view, but I would prefer to see it on mainstream FOX or primetime FOX.
“I think that is definitely primetime worthy FOX. I think that it would be better if it were on primetime FOX. You get more eyes on the fight, and more eyes on Errol Spence Jr, and Ugas,” Porter said.
If Porter wants to know who Ugas can beat, he only needs to look in the mirror to get the answer Ugas clearly beat Porter in their fight in March 2019, but found himself on the receiving end of a controversial 12 round split decision.
In fact, you can make a strong argument that Ugas did a better job of beating Porter than Spence did, a much better job. I had Ugas beating Porter by a 118-110. No way was the fight close.
Porter was getting worked over the entire fight, and looking at the referee constantly to have him step in to give him a hand.
I don’t think Porter realized how talented Ugas was going into that fight, as he looked like he was in a state of shock in what was happening to him during the match.
What’s strange is how Porter sounds so bitter now when he talks about Ugas. Instead of giving the guy credit for getting the better of him, he’s minimizing his talent by saying he doesn’t know who he can beat among the top guys at 147.
Porter just needs to own his poor performance against Ugas, and just accept the fact that he met up with someone that was better than him.
Porter wants Crawford fight for his legacy
“I know that it’s Terence Crawford,” said Porter when asked what fight he needs for his legacy. “There’s just something about him, and there’s something about him. I think the fights great.
There’s no secret that’s a great fight for me, and a great fight for me specifically. I already fought Errol Spence Jr, and I think everybody still feels that he’s the best welterweight in the world.
“In my attempt to beat him, everybody could see that if you think he’s the #1 welterweight in the world, Shawn Porter is not even a half-step behind him.
“Shawn Porter is running at the same pace. I think now it’s become Terence Crawford. There’s the big argument, ‘who is better, Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr?’
“That’s why it’s for me now, ‘You’ve been in the ring with Errol Spence Jr. Go get Terence Crawford.’ That’s why that’s the most important fight.
“That’s funny that you say that about Manny Pacquiao. It’s lucrative and everything, but for me, it’s actually not Manny Pacquiao.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15GRUpu_vIc
“For me, the most important fight is Terence Crawford,” Porter said.
“I’ve not given up on that fight [Crawford]. Ever since I made that comment on my podcast, I”ve had a conversation with my dad. ‘Go get that fight. That’s the fight for me.’ So my dad is working,” said Porter about still wanting the Crawford fight.
Porter isn’t at the same pace as Spence, and he’s kidding himself if he continues to believe that. Spence is clearly the better fighter of the two.
Well, Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum has already made his $1 million offer for Porter to fight Crawford, which he’s refused. Arum already made his offer, and there’s nothing else to talk about.
If Porter isn’t willing to agree to the $1M, he needs to move on and try and get a fight against Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Kudratillo Abduqaxorov, or Mikey Garcia.
Errol Spence isn’t ready to give Porter a rematch right now because he’s got a lot of other great options for massive paydays.
It would be a backward move for Spence if he chose to fight Porter again, and the boxing public doesn’t want to see that retread fight. they want Spence to fight Terence Crawford.
Ryan Garcia is overmatched against Pacquiao
“Yes, he is in way over his head,” said Porter about Ryan Garcia being out of his depth if he faces Pacquiao.
“If anything, I can see Manny Pacquiao carrying him and keeping him alive. He’s not ready for that fight with Manny Pacquiao. I’ll leave it at that,” Porter said.
Pretty much the entire boxing world echoes Porter’s thoughts about Ryan Garcia being over his head in a fight against the recently stripped WBA welterweight champion Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs).
The aggravating aspect about the potential Pacquiao vs. Garcia fight is that it has no sporting value to it.
Ryan is like a high school team going up against an NFL squad, and there can only be one winner in a mismatch like this. Assuming that Pacquiao carries Ryan by taking it easy on him, the fight will be fought at half speed by him. That’s not going to make boxing fans happen.
But on the flip side, if Pacquiao demolishes Ryan in a first-round knockout, the paying boxing fans will be furious about having been ripped off.
The ones that purchase the fight will be doing it believing it’s going to be a competitive match.
Paying $70+ to watch Pacquiao massacre the 22-year-old King Ryan is going to make fans angry, and some of them may choose to never purchase another pay-per-view boxing event again.