“Showtime” Shawn Porter is back at the top of the mountain in the welterweight division.
Porter, a native of Akron, Ohio and graduate of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, earned a unanimous-decision victory over Danny Garcia and claimed the WBC Welterweight Championship in the feature bout of Showtime Boxing’s event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn Saturday night.
Porter won the bout, 116-112, 115-113, 115-113, on the ringside judges’ scorecards.
“I knew he was going to be accurate,” Porter said of Garcia in his post-fight interview with Jim Gray. “The game plan for me was to be accurate, be accurate from the outside, show that I could beat him without roughing him up and getting him against the ropes the entire time.
“We studied very well for him, were ready for his hook, his wild right hands. He did a great job, tonight, but I’m blessed.”
Porter outpointed Garcia, 180-168, in punches landed, as well as punches thrown, 742 to 472, according to CompuBox, and seized control of the bout with a flurry of activity in the 12th and final round.
Porter and Garcia battled for the vacant WBC Welterweight Championship after Keith Thurman surrendered the belt earlier this year while recovering from multiple injuries. Thurman was 28-0-1 in 29 professional fights and held victories over both Porter and Garcia.
The WBC Welterweight Championship is the sixth title for Porter, as he previously held the WBC Silver Welterweight, IBF Welterweight, WBO-NABO Welterweight, IBF North American Welterweight, NABF Welterweight and WBO-NABO Interim Junior Middleweight titles.
With the victory over Garcia, Porter improved to 29-2-1 as a professional with a three-fight winning streak and wins in five of his last six outings.
Following the bout, IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. entered the ring and challenged Porter to a title unification fight in 2019.
“The same way you called out Danny Garcia, I’m calling you out,” Spence Jr. said. “Let’s get it on. You got the WBC belt. I’ve got the IBF belt. We can unify. We’re good friends. I love your daddy, but let’s get it on.”
Porter was quick to respond.
“Hey, guess what, y’all?” Porter said to the crowd of more than 13,000. “This is going to be the easiest fight to make in boxing right here.”
Following Porter’s retort, Spence again stated his case for a unification bout.
“Shawn Porter did what Shawn Porter always do,” Spence Jr. said. “Shawn Porter, he came forward. He was aggressive and he came to fight, like he always do. His dad got him ready. But like I said, I feel like I’m the best welterweight in the division and I want this fight.
“I’m the IBF Champion of the World. I’m Errol Spence Jr. I’m the truth, and I guarantee you I’m going to come home with the WBC belt and be the unified champion.”
