Sparring Partner No More: Showtime For Shawn Porter
Posted by: Jake Donovan on 12-16-2009.

It’s often said that it’s not what you know, but who you know.

For the past couple of months, Shawn “Showtime” Porter knew and shared ring space with the sport’s pound-for-pound king, brought in to help Manny Pacquiao prepare for last month’s destruction of Miguel Cotto.

The mere mention of Pacquiao’s name instantly generates hundreds of thousands of hits, which means that much more attention paid to anyone and anything associated with said news entry.

Simply put, more attention was paid to Porter’s every move during his time in Pacquiao’s camp than any other point in his life, at least to date.

Who he knew helped give a career boost not often seen for a 22-year old in just his second year as a pro and with minimal television exposure.

But in boxing, who you know rarely if ever is of any service in the ring. Once the bell ring, it becomes all about what you know.

A nationally televised audience gets to find out this weekend exactly what Shawn Porter knows. The undefeated super welterweight prospect makes his Shobox debut when he faces fellow unbeaten Jamar Patterson at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota this Friday.

It’s Showtime for the man also known as “Showtime” – a fitting way to end what has been a spectacular introduction to the professional ranks.

“This year has been unbelievable, but it’s not over yet,” acknowledges Porter (11-0, 9KO). “We’re well prepared for Friday night on Showtime, ready to show the world what I got.”

The fight will already be his second following his time spent in Pac Land. A week after Pacquiao’s big win over Cotto, Porter returned to his home away from home, scoring a fourth round stoppage of Jerome Ellis in Tunica, Mississippi.

Making his sixth appearance at Fitzgerald’s Casino in the span of exactly 52 weeks, Porter has already developed a following in the southeastern gambling hot spot. But there was no question that added attention came with this particular bout.

It had little to do with the fact that it was his first scheduled eight-rounder (though he only needed half of that amount); instead, the night was less about what he knew than it was about who he knew – and how many more know him as a result.

“It’s crazy how that experience continues to follow my career,” says Porter of the experience that has seemingly taken on a life of its own. “It’s cool that people acknowledge me, and plus he got the big win, so I get that much more shine for helping him get to that point.”

The experience also gave Porter a chance to view the sport from a different angle, perhaps pick up a thing or two that wouldn’t have come with a normal training camp with his father and trainer/manager Kenny Porter, in his home state of Ohio.

But what he knows certainly isn’t limited to what he learned during that time. Nor does he believe it should define who he is as a fighter.

“I learned more in that camp, no question. But I’m still the athlete that I am.”

During his teenage years in Stow, Ohio, Porter was quite the standout athlete, and not just limited to the squared circle. He also dabbled in basketball in track, but where he stood out the most – beyond the ring – was on the gridiron during his years spent at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. It’s the same school that produced NFL Hall of Fame running back Larry Csonka, whose four-decade school rushing record Porter broke during his senior year in 2005.

Porter was good enough for the NCAA level, though his size (5’7” and a listed 175 lb. during his playing days) made him a long shot for the NFL. Having been blessed with enough talent to excel in two sports, he chose the one in which he saw the longest and brightest future.

“Growing up in both sports, I thought it was a better decision to become a boxer. At one point, I saw myself going to the NFL, as it’s every player’s dream. But I believed I’d be a better pro boxer than a pro football player.

“At the end of the day, boxing is one-on-one. I can control what goes on in the ring.”

His 11 pro fights are proof of that, having yet to be extended beyond the fourth round, and with all but two ending inside the distance.

Even more impressive was his run on the amateur level, where he won an eye-popping 99% of his 290 fights in a career that began at age eight.

You name the honor, and chances are Porter achieved it during his time spent in the non-pay ranks – under-19 National Champion; two-time Golden Gloves National Junior Division Champion; national and world championships in the Junior Olympics, as well as the 2007 Golden Gloves.

For all of his accolades in the amateurs, Porter was only afforded an alternate slot on the 2008 US Olympic boxing squad. He owns wins over two of the team members – Demetrius Andrade and Shawn Estrada, the latter occupying the 165 lb. slot for which Porter served as a backup.

An untimely and disputed loss to Daniel Jacobs – whom Porter had also previously defeated – early in the 2008 Olympic Trials was enough to convince the committee to look elsewhere.

“I wasn’t who the Olympic squad wanted,” Porter believes. “ But I never let it get to me. I had a stellar amateur career, and proud of what I was able to accomplish.”

What he accomplished was enough to catch the watchful eyes of Brian and Russ Young, who head Prize Fight Promoters, the leading promotional outfit in the mid-South.

Now a decade into the game, Prize Fight has earned a reputation for its ability to think outside the box in signing young talent. They expertly guided the careers of Lamont and Anthony Peterson, both of whom were amateur standouts but fell short of making the 2004 squad. In that same vein, Prize Fight wisely invested into its future late last year, signing Porter, Fernando Guerrero and Dominic Wade in establishing its “Camp of Champs” slogan.

Time will tell if any of their young stars will go on to become world champions. Peterson fell short last weekend in a spirited effort against top 140 lb. boxer Tim Bradley. Anthony figures to be in the title hunt sometime in 2010, while there is plenty of time for Prize Fight’s current trio of rising stars.

While there’s no time like the present for Porter’s Q-rating, everyone on his team is on the same page when it comes to career goals. There is the temptation to cash in on his newfound fame-by-association, but Porter gladly takes the headlines that come with it, leaving the rest up to a team that has more than earned his trust.

“Russ and Brian are great. They’ve worked hard for me from the moment they signed me and help whenever I’ve needed it. I’m pleased to be a part of Prize Fight.

“It means a lot that I stand out with them. My goal is to help them build up and make them a stellar promotional company.”

By helping put his promoter on the map, he’ll have also helped earn extra shine for another key figure on his team, in fact the driving force.

“I have good management. There’s nobody in the sport I can trust more than my father, who has always done right by me.”

Father-son relationships in the sport have been historically hit-or-miss. Some are able to get through an entire career without tripping over one another. Others fall apart the moment they don’t see eye-to-eye on the smallest detail.

Porter firmly believes he and his father will fall into the first category, simply because both know their role – Shawn’s job is to fight, Kenny’s is to teach, and also to look out for his son’s best interests.

“The balance is great for my father and me. When things are said that need to be said at home, it is said at home. Gym talk is saved for the gym; the line is never blurred. We have a special relationship that can’t be matched. When we believe we’re ready for that next level, I’ll fight on that next level. Until then, I take what’s offered and keep doing my thing in the ring.”

Few have done it more frequently in the past year and change. Friday will mark his 12th pro fight in just 14 months as a pro. Should he survive this weekend’s test, his next date is already booked – February 19 in Cleveland, less than an hour from his Akron hometown.

That bout will mark his third appearance on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights and fourth nationally televised fight overall, though all that matters for the moment is his current assignment.

“There’s no pressure at all,” says Porter of the need to win on Friday in order to set up next February’s homecoming. “I’m focused on the task at hand. It will be a fun, exciting time.”

If anything, the greater stress factor lies with those who’ve watched his every move from the moment he first laced ‘em up 14 years ago.

“I have a lot of friends and family that support me, who will be watching on TV very closely this weekend. They can’t wait for me to get this one over with so they can see me in person.”

Until then, they’ll have to settle for the same view as everyone else – tuning in to Showtime this weekend, so Porter can show the world that what he knows exceeds who he knows.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .

Guerrero headlines Friday
Last live ShoBox telecast of 2009

Top middleweight prospect Fernando Guerrero will put his unbeaten record on the line against Jesse Nicklow in a 10-round middleweight bout in the main event of the final ShoBox: The New Generation telecast of the year on Friday, Dec. 18 LIVE on SHOWTIME ® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). Two exciting co-features will showcase four undefeated prospects in their toughest challenges to date. Knockout artist Lanard Lane (9-0, 6 KOs) will take on Said El Harrack (8-0, 3 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight bout. Hard-hitting Shawn Porter (11-0, 9 KOs) will face the dangerous Jamar Patterson (8-0, 4 KOs) in an eight round jr. middleweight bout. The fights will originate from Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minn.
The power-punching Guerrero (16-0, 13 KOs), of Salisbury, Md., by way of the Dominican Republic, has scored all 13 of his KOs inside of four rounds. The No. 15 rated World Boxing Organization (WBO) prospect at 160 pounds, Guerrero is coming off his career-best win, a 10-round majority decision against former British Commonwealth welterweight and junior middleweight champion Ossie Duran in October.
“A lot of people will classify me as a banger, but the way that I classify myself is just whatever way I have to fight to beat the guy,” Guerrero said. “If the guy’s real strong, I’ll box him because I know how to box. If the guy’s not that strong, then I’ll bang with him. It depends who the opponent is, because I can do it all.”
The southpaw Guerrero, who is currently sparring with brothers Anthony and Lamont Peterson, will have his hands full against Nicklow, who Guerrero’s trainer Barry Hunter describes as an in your face, gritty type of fighter.
“If he comes with force, we’re going to have to greet him with force,” said Hunter, who also trains the Peterson brothers. “This is just another step towards a world title for Fernando. I’ve met Jessie Nicklow, he’s a nice kid, but he’s just one of the many roadblocks that are going to be in our way. If we can’t maneuver around it, we got to go through it or over it. That’s our plan.”
Born in the Dominican Republic, Guerrero, 23, moved to the United States when he was eight-years-old. During a stellar amateur career, Guerrero won the Junior Golden Gloves and International Junior Olympics at age 16, and captured the National Golden Gloves at age 17. In 2007, Guerrero became the U.S. National Amateur champion at 165 pounds.
Nicklow (19-1-2, 7 KOs), of Baltimore, Md., is moving up in weight to the middleweight division for this bout. Nicklow is coming off an eight-round draw in his last fight in June against John Mackey and had his first loss in his previous fight in November, 2008 in a rematch against George Rivera.
The 22-year-old Nicklow is familiar with Guerrero having fought him five times in the amateurs and walking away with two victories. The right-handed Nicklow believes the amateur experience will help him against Guerrero, who will be his toughest test to date.
“My trainer, Danny Kisner, has a gameplan for us,” Nicklow said. “I beat him before in the amateurs, so I know how to win. I’m aggressive, but I’ll need to box and move around to beat Fernando. It’s going to be an exciting fight.”
Kisner agrees: “Jessie is aggressive. He comes forward, but what I’m trying to get him back to is more boxing and head movement. Jessie can box and be real slick when he wants to be. I like slick, defensive boxers. I don’t like to see guys get hit.”
The four prospects fighting in the co-feature have a combined record of 36-0 with 22 KOs.
The 27-year-old Lane is undefeated but untested as a pro and El Harrak will be his toughest test to date.
“I don’t know too much about the guy I’m fighting,” said Lane, who works as a firefighter at the Houston Fire Department. “I can look at a tape, but it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m not going to rely on a tape.
“When I get in there, it depends on what they’re doing. I feel their punching power and see what they’re doing, and I make my adjustments right then and there.”
Lane’s opponent is equally untested, but has sparred with some of the world’s best fighters at Johnny Tocco’s Gym in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been in the ring with everybody in the world,” said the 27-year old El Harrak. “I’ve been in the ring with Zab Judah, I’ve been in the ring with Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao, Joel Casamayor, and I’ve got the better of a lot of them.”
“When a fight gets tough, I think ‘This is all I have. I have to get tougher.’ So I hope he comes ready for war, because I’m ready to die in there.”
The 22-year-old Porter had a stellar amateur career, winning the 2007 National Golden Gloves title and serving as alternate on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Porter holds amateur wins over current pro prospects Fernando Guerrero, Danny Jacobs, Shawn Estrada, Demetrius Andrade, and Edwin Rodriguez.
He has been active as a professional, fighting 12 times in 14 months and sparring with pound-for-pound champ Manny Pacquiao prior to Pacquiao’s bout against Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.
Porter said training with Pacquiao, which he did for about six weeks in the Philippines and in Los Angeles, should prove to be valuable throughout his career.
“I took a lot from that experience,” Porter said. “He has a lot of good training habits and rituals that he uses, like praying before and after a training session, and his work ethic is pretty amazing.
“That kind of stuff stuck with me, and I think it’s really going to help me throughout my career from a training aspect to actually performing in the ring.”
The 27-year-old Patterson has been inactive in the ring and is fighting for the first time in 16 months after not fighting for nearly two years before that due to managerial issues. Regardless of the layoff, Patterson has a game plan for Porter.
“He comes forward, comes straight at you,” Patterson said. “He throws a lot of punches, but I know how to handle that. A lot of guys let him pound on them like that, but I’m not going to let him.
“I come forward a lot, but I box a lot. I move around the ring, but not too much wild stuff and all. If you want to slug it out, we can slug it out for a while, but then I go back to my regular boxing routine. I’ll switch it up from a boxer to a slugger.”
In November, Andre Ward became the 40th ShoBox alum to win a major world title with his victory over World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler on Nov. 21 in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward, who fought and developed as a professional on ShoBox, is the most recent alum to be crowned a champion.
Earlier in 2009, Yonnhy Perez, Antonio DeMarco and Yuri Foreman joined the elite group, which includes current stars Ricky Hatton, Chad Dawson, Paul Williams and Timothy Bradley, by winning their first world titles.
Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood and Antonio Tarver serving as expert analysts. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

Prize Fight Promotions doing their thing in Mississippi

December 3, 2009 , Mississippi Fight Sports Examiner , Brad Cooney

There are a lot of boxing promoters in the country, but none of them can move a fighter from prospect to contender better than Prize Fight Promotions.  Owned by brothers Brian and Russ Young, the company has been selling out shows for literally years now.  Known for promoting the biggest PPV in history, (Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis), Prize Fights current stable is very impressive.

The company took both Lamont and Anthony Peterson from nothing to the cusp of world titles within a few years. Currently they are moving another future world champion in Shawn Porter.  Recently Porter was picked by famed fight trainer Freddie Roach to fly to the Philippines to spar with the great Manny Pacquiao. Porter an undefeated Jr middleweight has impressed everyone who has seen him.  His blinding speed, and knockout power has gotten the attention of the boxing world, and he will no doubt be knocking on the door to a world title in the very near future.

Prize Fight also features another former amateur standout in Dominick Wade. Another prospect on the rise who's potential is unlimited.  Former 3 time world champion Zab "Super" Judah made his home with Prize fight, and while there was given a world title shot against Miguel Cotto.  It's not that complicated, when you associate yourself with Prize Fight Promotions, you can expect good things.

Sitting in the northern Delta cotton fields located in tiny Tunica, Mississippi is Fitzgerald's Casino.  Home to Prize Fight boxing cards about every 7 weeks or so.  You can expect to be in a jammed packed house on fight night.  Tunica, Mississippi comes alive when the punches fly, and fans from around the country are usually in attendance.  Prize Fight has showcased their fighters on national television several times. ESPN, Showtime, Versus, you name it, they have done it. 

It's nice to see a company with the integrity of Prize Fight Promotions succeed.  If you haven't been to one of their shows, you are missing out.  Be on the look out for this company, they treat their fighters first class, and they treat their customers first class.

One thing that this writer enjoys about attending a Prize Fight card is the flow.  The flow from one fight to the next is always a smooth operation.  When one fight is over, the next one starts within minutes.  You can bank on it, at a Prize Fight card the crowd gets their money's worth.

Porter Stops Ellis in Tunica!

For Immediate Release
 
Tunica, MS - Supported by a large crowd at Fitzgeralds Casino in Tunica, MS, junior middleweight sensation Shawn “Showtime” Porter kept his perfect intact after scoring a fourth round TKO over upset specialist Jerome Ellis.
 
Headlining “Boxing’s Future Champions III”, Porter badly rocked Ellis with a solid left hook in the second, forcing the rugged Floridian to hold on. The 2008 US Olympic Alternate continued to have success in the third, attacking Ellis with quick, crisp combinations while using outstanding defensive movement to avoid return shots.
 
With the fight in his control, The Akron, OH native tagged Ellis with strong combinations to both the body and head, proving that a clash of heads early in the round could not deter him. Following the fourth round, Ellis refused to leave his stool, forcing Referee Randy Phillips to stop the contest.
 
“Ellis is tough as nails but once I got my rhythm going, I knew I was going to take over” said Porter, who served as Manny Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner for six weeks prior to the bout. “I felt great coming into the fight and can’t wait to return to the ring.”
 
Porter improves to 11-0 (9 KO’s) with the victory while Ellis drops to a deceptive 12-10-2 (9 KO’s).
 
Tyrese “Head Honcho” Hendrix, 18-0-1 (7 KO’s) continued his march up the lightweight ranks by outpointing hardcore veteran Marteze Logan over eight rounds. The Gainesville, GA based southpaw used a strong right jab and hard combinations along with sensational ring generalship to baffle the gritty Logan. Scores were 79-73 twice and 78-74 for Hendrix, who has put together a string of solid performances.
 
Philadelphia, PA based welterweight Raymond “Tito” Serrano traded knockdowns with 50 fight veteran Anthony Bowman of Jackson, TN before getting back on track and pounding out a unanimous decision. Serrano worked hard to outpoint the awkward Bowman, winning by scores of 59-54, 57-54 and 57-55. The victory ups Serrano’s record to 11-0 with six KO’s.
 
Knockout artist and heralded amateur Dominic “The Blade” Wade of Largo, MD demolished Brookwood, AL’s Bradley Thompson nineteen seconds after the opening bell. Wade, 5-0 (5 KO’s), ended Thompson’s night with a left hook and once again displayed why he is one of the top young prospects in the middleweight division.
 
In the opening bout of the evening, two time US Amateur Heavyweight Champion Mike Wilson, 4-0 (3 KO’s), of Medford, OR pounded debuting Tennessean Jerry Adams until the bout was halted at 1:28 of the second stanza. Wilson dropped Adams with a left hook in the opening round and forced three standing eight counts before the bout was stopped.
 
Fans that missed the live broadcast of “Boxing’s Future Champions III” can view the entire card on demand at prizefighttv.com for only $4.99.
 
The card was promoted by Prize Fight Boxing.
 
A primer promotional company during the last ten years, Prize Fight Boxing promoted Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis, the highest grossing pay per view in Heavyweight history, Roy Jones-Antonio Tarver, Antonio Tarver-Glen Johnson and Jermain Taylor-Winky Wright among others. Prize Fight also sold out more than 60 consecutive shows at the Tunica Casino during their successful “Fights at the Fitz” series and was named 2007 NABO Promoter of the Year.
 
Prize Fight Boxing’s current stable of pugilists includes Fernando Guerrero, Olympic alternate Shawn Porter, Dominic Wade, WBO Interim Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson, Anthony Peterson, Farah Ennis, Mark Davis, Adam “Swamp Donkey” Richards, Tyrese Hendrix, Ty Barnett, two time US Amateur Champion Mike Wilson, and Daniel Sackey.
 
For more information, go to www.prizefightpromoters.com.
 
Contact: Matt Yanofsky (publicist) 551-206-0578

Shawn Porter to Walk Pacquiao into Ring Saturday Night!

November 12, 2009- For Immediate Release

Los Angeles, CA – 2008 US Olympic alternate Shawn “Showtime” Porter will lead superstar Manny Pacquiao into the ring Saturday night for his showdown with WBO Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

Porter, 10-0 (8 KO’s), served as Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner and played the role of Cotto during his six weeks in camp. While swapping punches with the best fighter in the world was often a grueling task, Porter was grateful for the opportunity.

“"It’s truly an honor that Team Pacquiao brought me into camp” said Porter, whose intense sparring with Pacquiao was featured on HBO’s Emmy Award winning 24/7 series. “It was a lot of fun, a great learning experience and something I will remember far beyond my years as a professional fighter.”

Following training sessions in Pacquiao’s native Philippines, fans mobbed Porter for pictures, autographs and to ask about his experience sparring with their national hero. Even though the public attention was quite unexpected, Porter is flattered with his newfound support.

 “The type of recognizance I got was unbelievable.” “For people to stop me and say “hey you’re Shawn Porter” thousands of miles away from my hometown of Akron, Ohio is great.”

“The fans treated me as if they have known me for a number of years. I definitely look forward to continually building my fan base in the Philippines because their fans are incredible!”

The highly anticipated Pacquiao-Cotto “Firepower” pay per view hits airwaves at 9 pm ET and is promoted by Top Rank.

Porter’s next bout is taking place November 21 at Fitzgeralds Casino in Tunica, MS. Details will follow in the coming days.