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IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence takes on WBC welterweight champion Shawn Porter in a unification bout on September 28, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Errol Spence Jr.
Spence will be making the fourth defense of the IBF welterweight belt he won after traveling to Sheffield, England to beat Kell Brook in his hometown last May 2017. Spine defended the title twice in 2018, knocking out former world champion Lamont Peterson in seven rounds and scoring a first-round knockout of mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo in his hometown of Frisco, Texas.
In March 2019, Spence headlined his first PPV card and defeated lightweight champion Mikey Garcia in a shutout. After fighting an undersized Garcia who moved up two weight classes to meet him, Spence will now take on the rugged Porter who was the former IBF welterweight champion who was dethroned by Brook, the man Spence beat for his title.
Errol Spence is in his prime at 29-years old and he stands 5-10 with a reach of 72 inches while fighting as a southpaw. The Long Island, New York native has an undefeated record of 25-0 with 21 knockouts. Spence has won 11 out of his last 12 bouts by stoppage and is 4-0 in world title fights. This is his first fight at Staples Center and his first in California since 2013.
Shawn Porter
Las Vegas’ Porter held Spence’s current belt from 2013 to 2014 before losing it to Brook in a close decision. He rebounded by outclassing Adrien Broner and then fought bravely and engaged Keith Thurman in a 12-round ward before losing another close decision. Porter then defeated Danny Garcia via decision to win the WBC belt which Thurman vacated after taking a long hiatus due to injury.
Porter made his first defense of the WBC belt against Cuban Yordenis Ugas and in an unimpressive performance, he won the bout via split decision. Porter has always been considered a tough foe because of his physicality but he will be in a different situation here against a bigger and stronger Errol Spence.
The 31-year old Porter stands 5-7 and has a reach of 69 ½ inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. He has a professional record of 30-2-1 with 17 knockouts to his credit. Showtime Porter has won four fights in a row since losing to Keith Thurman in 2016. This will be Porter’s first fight at the Staples Center and his third in California since 2014.
Who Wins?
I think Errol Spence is an overrated puncher but overall, I think he is an underrated fighter. A lot of people are saying that he doesn’t have the kind of resume that Keith Thurman and Terence Crawford possess. However, he has beaten every man he has faced and he has definitely improved with every fight. Spence got the needed experience when he defeated Kell Brook and then he went 12 rounds with Mikey Garcia. Sure, he was the big boxing betting favorite against Garcia but I did not expect him to fight with such high IQ. Spence isn’t just an aggressive power puncher who has a high output, he is smart and slick as well.
Shawn Porter rose to the scene by defeating Alexander. He bet Malignaggi and lost to Kell Brook. Porter beat Broner and then he had that valiant effort in the Thurman loss and he rebuilt himself by defeating Danny Garcia. I think Porter has a better fight resume between the two and has more experience than Errol Spence.
However, what makes Porter special is that he is a rugged fighter who forces his opponents off their games by forcing them in a rugged fight. But because Errol Spence is much bigger and stronger, I don’t think he can be the bully in this fight. If Porter cannot bully Spence, he can’t score his best punches. On the other hand, I think Spence can choose to fight at a distance and win with an easy decision.
I think that Porter will try to be the aggressor but Spence is going to push him back. Errol Spence is just too physically strong for Shawn Porter. I think Porter cannot impose his will on Spence and that the harder he tries, the more he will tire. With Spence’s high output, I can see him easily outpointing Shawn Porter here. Prediction: Errol Spence by decision
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