Boxing Examiner | Vivek Wallace
Jr. Middleweight contender Shawn Porter (12-0, 10KO's) will find himself on the brink of something he's always dreamed of Friday night as he steps in the ring to face off against Russell Jordan for the divisions NABO strap.
Many know Porter as a very skilled contender on the rise, while others simply know him as the sparring partner whose gritty determination in the ring allowed him to handle the rigors of a daily grind in the same ring as Filipino Manny Pacquiao.
On Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to speak to the talented fighter out of Akron, Ohio, and his thoughts on Pacquiao solidified what many have felt, despite the sudden questions surrounding the fightin' Filipino.
When asked about Pacquiao, Porter had nothing but high praise, stating that what amazed him the most was Pacquiao's "athleticism", saying that the two played basketball for a few hours on the night of the Super Bowl, and it was just "amazing" to see the crisp shot and athletic rebounding ability of Pacqiuao.
As the conversation concluded on Pacquiao's athletic ability and how it helps him in the ring, things shifted to the allegations surrounding the Filipino outside of it.
When prompted, Porter stated that he "was around Pacquiao and sparred him 3x a week and never saw a difference in his punching power, his approach, or anything else". Porter would then conclude his statement in saying that "at no point was there any type of matrix effect" or anything super-natural in his ability, just intense tenacity from an undying passion to win.
Porter also said that the Filipino has recently sported a new T-shirt that reads "100% God, No Steroids", which speaks on Pacquiao's devotion to his spirituality, which he considers to be the catalyst in all the many blessings he has received in the sport, starting with his rare talent.
Spending a great amount of time around Pacquiao has helped Porter to see things from a different perspective, and as he prepares for his own upcoming title showdown, he'll do so knowing that he trained for this moment with a man that many consider to be the best.
Relative to his own title shot, Porter stated that this opportunity will be "the first of many more to come, with God's will", and that each of these experiences have well prepared him for this moment.
Already having a great attitude of a champion and being a humble young man, one can only hope this is true.
The Examiner would like to thank Shawn Porter for the interview. The official article will be posted on Eastside Boxing on Friday (2/19), and the audio in its entirety will be posted on 8CountNews.
Source: Examiner.com
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