Las Vegas (March 7, 2024) – Two-Time world champion Shawn Porter has confirmed that he will appear at the Seventh Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will also coincide with a mega fight that will take place later that evening in Las Vegas, featuring boxing star Canelo Alvarez.

Porter will hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at his booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend

The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan event that coincides with some of the sports’ legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas, including Mayweather vs. Maidana II, Mayweather vs. Berto, Canelo vs. Chavez Jr., Canelo vs. GGG II, Canelo vs. Jacobs and Canelo vs. GGG III. 

Centered in boxing’s longtime home – Las Vegas – this year’s Expo is a must-do for fight fans coming in for this legendary weekend, with dozens of professional fighters, promoters, and companies involved in the boxing industry. The Expo is the largest and only Boxing Fan Expo held in the United States. http://boxfanexpo.com – @BoxFanExpo

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2024

Porter will make his seventh appearance at this years’ Expo and will showcase his LIVE Streaming show “The PorterWay Podcast”. Porter will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. He will also have merchandise on sale at his booth, and fans will have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing star also known as “Showtime”. @theporterwaypod @ShowtimeShawnP

Porter joins Fernando Vargas, Juan Manuel Marquez, Michael Spinks, Claressa Shields and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more Boxing stars to be announced. 

About Shawn Porter

Porter is a retired American professional boxer who competed from 2008 to 2021. He is a Two-time former welterweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2013 to 2014 and the WBC title from 2018 to 2019. He is particularly known for his aggressive pressure fighting style, physical strength and high work rate. Some of his most noticeable fights came against Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr., Adrien Broner, Paulie Malignaggi, Andre Berto and Kell Brook to name a few. He currently runs a popular streaming show “The PorterWay Podcast” which allow boxing enthusiast to watch great interviews with some of their favorite boxing celebrities. Porter is also known as a great commentator on many boxing platforms.

?About Box Fan Expo

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet the stars of boxing that represent the past, present and future of the sport. With hosted autograph signings, meet-and-greets with current and former boxing world champions, limited edition merchandise for sale, giveaways and more, this is the ultimate event for fans of the sport.

Past boxing stars that have participated include: Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, David Benavidez, Teofimo Lopez, Andre Ward, Ryan Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Devin Haney, Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence Jr, Fernando Vargas, Rolando Romero, Sergio Martinez, Tim Bradley, Jose Ramirez, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Abner Mares, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Floyd Mayweather sr., Claressa Shields, Vinny Paz, Mia St.John, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, Seniesa Estrada, Jorge Linares, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe, Earnie Shavers, Michael & Leon Spinks, Brandon Rios, Anthony Dirrell, Danny Jacobs, and many more.

Exhibitors include boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry as a whole.

Throughout the next few months leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –

https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2024

To request information on exhibiting and sponsorship at the Expo:

For media credentials:

Contact us:

Telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram at: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

LAS VEGAS – July 6, 2023 – As fight week nears for the long-anticipated Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford SHOWTIME PPV clash, former champions and common Spence and Crawford opponents Shawn Porter and Kell Brook, plus top trainers Virgil Hunter and Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, previewed the matchup during a virtual media roundtable before Spence and Crawford meet on Saturday, July 29 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions, are available through AXS.com.

Porter dropped a 2019 Fight of the Year to Spence, before losing the final fight of his career to Crawford in November 2021. Brook faced Spence in May 2017 as Spence traveled to the U.K. to capture his first career world title, while Brook came stateside to face Crawford in November 2020, losing by fourth-round TKO.

Here is what Porter, Brook, Hunter and Edwards had to say on Thursday:

SHAWN PORTER, Former Two-Time Welterweight Champion

“I’m excited. I was at church last night and they were talking about this fight. This is the biggest fight and I’m excited about it.

“The one narrative is Terence Crawford can do more things in the ring. He has more tools in his toolbox. Errol Spence is the most fundamentally sound boxer in the world. We have never been able to see him pull out everything that he has. Terence has been in the ring with guys who have done different things. From an X’s and O’s standpoint, it’s all a matter of, ‘What are you going to do this round?’ Both fighters have the ability to make adjustments, be aggressive, fight off the back foot, and counterpunch. This is an outstanding fight because they both have an A+ in every box. We are going to see three different strategies from each fighter, maybe even four or five different game plans. Both of these guys have to have both in order to win the fight.

“The calculated pressure from Errol has to be something that he sustains for the entire fight. He needs to continue putting on the pressure and body punching. If you’re Terence Crawford, you have to get to Errol’s body and make him uncomfortable. Errol has a really tight defense and keeps his hands at home. If he’s not punching, his hands are up. With a guy like that, you have to find openings. Those openings are usually there when that punch is being released. Punch when he’s punching. Be accurate and be that sharpshooter. We’re not saying anything that either of these fighters can’t do. That is why this is such a great fight. It’s hard to find the timing, it’s hard to find the distance. It’s hard to be confident and do it. It’s going to be a great fight.

“If Terence is able to be comfortable and manage his energy, we have to start talking about him in the same breath as Manny Pacquiao, Andre Ward, and Floyd Mayweather. With this fight, you can’t measure another fighter’s energy or mentality through the fight. Terence never got uncomfortable in his fight against me. He never showed me that there was anything unsettled within his heart or mind. I pride myself on making fighters uncomfortable. Never once did I see Terence uncomfortable. I didn’t apply the kind of pressure that Errol is going to apply. That may have been the reason why I didn’t see Terence uncomfortable.

“I don’t have a pick. I don’t know who is going to win this fight. This is what boxing truly is. Both guys have basically everything needed to win, from power to speed. I truly don’t think anyone can look at this fight and say, ‘That guy is going to win,’ because there are so many outcomes and possibilities. One thing we know that’s not going to happen is that there won‘t be any foul play, any low blows. There is not going to be any head butts that would end this fight prematurely. The fans win. Boxing purists especially win.”

KELL BROOK, Former Welterweight World Champion

“I’m very excited for this fight and everyone is talking about this fight. It’s a massive fight and for No. 1. I actually put both these guys up as pound-for-pound in all the divisions. and they’re going to go after it.

“Errol Spence is a very big welterweight, a natural southpaw. He’s big and strong and goes to the body good. His IQ is very high in the ring.

“Terence Crawford can box. He’s a sharpshooter with his punches and a very good finisher. He’s going to need every game plan in this fight. This is a real test.

“I put up guys like Errol, Crawford, Shawn Porter and Golovkin who I’ve been in there with who just have that aura around them. They have that X-factor. It’s the small margins that will decide this fight. It will come down to who has prepared the best. This is the real test for No. 1 in the division and we’re going to get some toe-to-toe action.

“I think Errol brings calculated pressure and will go to the body. He will be the bigger guy in the fight. Crawford has to be sharp and use the entire ring and pick his shots at the right time and make Spence work when he doesn’t want to work. He has to be very clever and get the rounds and break him down over the fight.

“I think inactivity can be an issue and it’s mental for Errol, who might question his inactivity. Time will tell.

“I think Terence is a very sharp and snapping puncher and Errol has a more grinding and thumping kind of power. That’s the difference I see in the two. We’re talking about two star fighters and it’s going to come down to a very small margin and they’re going to have to bring every part of their game to get a victory.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Former Trainer for Andre Ward, Andre Berto, Amir Khan and More

“The fight can’t come soon enough. I’m excited, especially to get both men at their peak. Both men seem hungry and ready to go. I expect an epic night.

“Errol has a grind-it-out, that go-get-you mentality. It doesn’t make sense to go against what works. In this fight, it’s not what I’m going to do to you. The fighter that wins will be the one who’s not going to let the other fighter do what he wants to do.

“I had the fortune to spend one day in the gym with Terence. His physical strength is underrated. The way he is genetically built, the way he has stayed in the gym for his entire career and has never gotten out of condition, brings a snap to his punch. He has a real buggy whip snap to his punches. You can feel a snap. He was a wrestler early on, and I’ve watched him tussle with big guys and get them down to the ground. He is built from the feet up with his physical strength. He can generate a lot of power.

“I like Errol and the way he fights. At some point that grind out style will slow up as you age. You have to grind every single day. Errol has admitted that he has had a lifestyle that wasn’t always good. That does damage to the internal organs that is irreversible. Errol’s determination and drive are A-plus. Who can stop the other guy from doing what he wants to do is going to be a factor in this fight.

“If either fighter is down in the fight, he has the ability to come back, even the fight, and take the lead. The first four rounds are going to determine how the rest of the fight is going to go. Both men understand that they have to get the respect of the other fighter real quick. The key for Terence is to stop Errol from what he wants to do and hurt him. The key for Errol is to keep grinding. He is going to have his momentum accelerated and make it very difficult for Terence.

“If I was able to spend three weeks in Errol’s and Crawford’s camps and watch the training, watch the strategies, and watch what they both do after training, how they recuperate, how they reinvigorate themselves, that would allow me to have a more accurate pick in this fight. I will be more settled on a pick during the week of the fight. I’ll be watching the mentalities and attitudes of the fighters, particularly on their skills. The Las Vegas heat and the rehydration process are going to be factors. I would have to be subjected to each fighter’s mental makeup over a period of time to see the concentration and mental fortitude to be able to make a pick. I’m just going to enjoy the fight. This is a great fight for boxing.”

STEPHEN “BREADMAN” EDWARDS, Trainer for Julian Williams, Caleb Plant and More

“Crawford doesn’t have a lot of holes in his armor. One thing I was able to see in his fight with Shawn and Kell is that, for some reason, Terence is a little bit of a slow starter. They were able to get a lot done in the early rounds. So, I would really be conscious of that. [Terence] is one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen. The one thing about him is if you can get to him early before he adjusts.

“With Errol, he’s a snowball fighter who, once he gets his rhythm, comes forward and can walk you down behind that southpaw jab. One thing I would be worried about in this fight is letting Errol get his rhythm and establish that hard southpaw jab. That’s the first thing I would address if I was in Terence’s corner.

“The other thing would be counter attacking Errol’s body punching. Errol hits you to the body all night long and kind of wears you out. Besides Shawn, I’ve never seen someone go to Errol’s body all night long. I notice the small things and I’ve noticed Terence wears his trunks kind of high. I’ll be curious to see how he can overcome Errol’s grinding body shots.

“Terence is the puncher in this fight. Not that he punches harder than Errol, but he can hit you with shots that Errol doesn’t hit guys with. Errol kind of beats you down with his power, while Terence hits you on the money with shots you don’t even see. I would have Terence punch with him. Terence is really gifted where he can keep his eye on the target, punch with guys, and land clean shots. I don’t think he’s the hardest puncher I’ve ever seen as far as one-punch knockouts, but he has that ability to hit you while you’re punching with shots you don’t see. He doesn’t have to load up on it. It’s like a fast-snapping shot.

“Errol boxes going forward. When a guy boxes going forward he doesn’t get the same accolades as the guy who’s throwing a lot of smooth moves like a Pernell Whitaker or Floyd Mayweather, or even Shakur Stevenson. I think people use the word basic as an insult, but it’s not an insult, it’s a compliment. [Errol] is not fancy. He doesn’t show a lot of fancy moves and he doesn’t do a lot to avoid punches. But that doesn’t mean he’s not boxing. He keeps it simple.

“I think it’s a 50-50 fight. Errol does things in a subtle way. Against Mikey Garcia he fought a conservative fight and literally won every round. He got criticism for it because he didn’t knock the smaller man out. But he totally undressed him and outboxed him, so he does have that in his game and it could show up that night of the fight. Sometimes those guys need that special opponent in front of them to bring out what they really are because they don’t really show all of their stuff against the lesser guys.

“Those bright lights can do something to you, but both guys have composed, mature selves in the ring. I don’t see either guy choking up under the bright lights. Both guys seem to have that clutch gene. I don’t think that’s going to be a factor. Every time I’ve seen one of these guys’ backs against the wall, they up the ante and raise the stakes.

“Once these guys start clicking you’re going to see something special. I think the casual fan might say, ‘There’s not enough action.’ But for the purist, you’ll see some great, great stuff. It will become a classic. I think this is one fight I wish was 15 rounds because I think both guys are 15-round fighters and would have flourished in a 15-round era.

“I don’t have a pick right now. That’s the honest truth. I think we’re going to have the Fight of the Century. I wouldn’t be surprised if both guys hit the canvas. It’s so close and so many little things in the gym matter. I’m objective and have relationships with both teams. I really don’t have a pick right now. I just think it’s going to be a great fight.”

#         #         #

ABOUT SPENCE VS. CRAWFORD

Spence vs. Crawford will see unified WBC, WBA and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth’’ Spence Jr. take on WBO 147-pound world champion Terence “Bud’’ Crawford for the Undisputed Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, July 29 in a highly anticipated SHOWTIME PPV clash from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz facing unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera in a 12-round WBC and WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event, plus rising star Jesus “Mono” Ramos takes on Spanish contender Sergio Garcia in a 12-round WBC Super Welterweight Title eliminator. Kicking off the pay-per-view, unbeaten rising heavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan will duel the power-punching Viktor Faust in a 10-round matchup.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports and www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceCrawford, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing and www.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/.

Las Vegas (July 19, 2022) – Two-time world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter has confirmed that he will appear at the Sixth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will also coincide with the mega trilogy fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

Porter will hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at The Porter Way Podcast, and he will be streaming LIVE at his booth during the fan event held over the Mexican Independence Day weekend.

The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan event that coincides with some of the sports’ legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas, including Mayweather vs. Maidana II, Mayweather vs. Berto, Canelo vs. Chavez Jr., Canelo vs. GGG II, and Canelo vs. Jacobs. Centered in boxing’s longtime home – Las Vegas – this year’s Expo is a must-do for fight fans coming in for this legendary weekend, with dozens of professional fighters, promoters, and companies involved in the boxing industry. The Expo is the largest and only Boxing Fan Expo held in the United States. http://boxfanexpo.com – @BoxFanExpo

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite -https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2022

Porter will make his sixth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, and personal items. Boxing enthusiasts will have an opportunity to also take pictures with this fan friendly Boxing Star.

?Porter joins Jessie Vargas and Erik Morales as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more Boxing stars to be announced.

About Shawn Porter

Porter is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2008 to 2021. He is a two-time former welterweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2013 to 2014 and the WBC title from 2018 to 2019. He is particularly known for his aggressive pressure fighting style, physical strength and high workrate. Some of his most noticeable fights came against Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr., Adrien Broner, Paulie Malignaggi, Andre Berto and Kell Brook to name a few.

About The Porter Way Podcast

Founded in 2020, Two-Time Welterweight world champion ”Showtime” Shawn Porter leads a unique, entertaining podcast focused on boxing & everything else in the sports & entertainment world. The Porter Way is a Blue Wire Podcast. More info: https://linktr.ee/theporterwaypodcast

About Box Fan Expo

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet the stars of boxing that represent the past, present and future of the sport. With hosted autograph signings, meet-and-greets with current and former boxing world champions, limited edition merchandise for sale, giveaways and more, this is the ultimate event for fans of the sport.

Past boxing stars that have participated include: Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Andre Ward, Mikey Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Devin Haney, David Benavidez, Errol Spence Jr, Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Abner Mares, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Vinny Paz, Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe, Earnie Shavers, Michael & Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Claressa Shields, Teofimo Lopez, Brandon Rios, Jorge Linares, and many more.

Exhibitors include boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry as a whole.

Throughout the next few months leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo

.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –

https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2022

To request information on exhibiting and sponsorship at the Expo:

For media credentials:

Contact us:

Telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram at: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

LAS VEGAS — Shawn Porter announced Saturday that will retire during the post-fight news conference following his stoppage loss to Terence Crawford for the welterweight title at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

“I am ending my career tonight,” Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOS) said after father and trainer Kenny Porter ended it in the 10th-round of a bout televised by ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Porter was knocked down twice in the 10th by Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs).

In losing for the first time by stoppage, Porter was knocked down as many times within one round as he was in his career — first by Adrian Broner and then by Errol Spence Jr.

LAS VEGAS – In the end, it was Terence Crawford’s dance floor.

He danced with his family. Danced with his mom. Maybe he danced to the top of the pound-for-pound debate.

Neither the dance nor the debate figures to end anytime soon. Above all, Crawford proved he still belongs on any dance floor and in any debate with a 10^th-round stoppage of Shawn Porter Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Porter came as advertised. He knows a lot of dance steps. But he couldn’t sustain them against the patient Crawford. He knows how to wait. Knows how to adjust. And how to finish.

The finish came at 1:21 of the 10^th round after two knockdowns of Porter. Porter’s first trip to the canvas started with a left-uppercut from. The return trip started with a combination followed by a left hand to the head. Frustrated, Porter got up and stomped his foot.

 But the gesture was futile. It was over. His father and trainer, Kenny Porter, was already up the steps with towel in hand. The towel was never thrown. The referee and inspector for the Nevada Commission saw it and acted. Kenny Porter would later say his son wasn’t properly prepared, confirming rumors that Shawn Porter had a problematic camp.

For Crawford, however, it was a moment that punctuated what he wanted to accomplish.

The belt, the World Boxing Organization’s version of the welterweight. Title, was still in his dangerous hands. More important, he strengthened his claim on the top spot in the pound-for-pound debate. Canelo Alvarez, are you listening?

One potential Crawford rival, however, was there. Listening and watching. Errol Spence had a ringside seat.

“Now wait, my thing is, who’s No. 1 in the welterweight division now?” Crawford said in a comment clearly intended for Spence.

At the top of the 147-pound division, it’s either Spence or Crawford. There is nobody else. Crawford made sure of it by eliminating Porter from any real say-so in the weight class. Crawford also has the last word, at least for now.

“You know who I want,’’ said Crawford, who collected about $6 million, $2 million more than Porter’s $4 million payday. “I’ve been calling him out all day. Maybe, Spence will get his tail out of his butt and fight me.’’

Maybe.

For now, there are questions about where Crawford is headed. Promotionally, he’s a free agent. His victory of Porter was the last fight on Top Rank contract.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum is confident he can re-sign him. Arum is already talking about a fight between Crawford and junior-welterweight champion Josh Taylor, who is preparing to move up in weight

For now, however, Crawford only wanted to celebrate a night that began with Porter coming out fast, moving forward and attacking throughout the first three minutes. For one round, it worked. He appeared to win the round with his aggressiveness.

He also was sending a message, one that he wore on the back of his black-and-orange robe. Marvelous War, it said. It was a tribute to legendary warrior, Marvin Hagler. It was note of respect to the past. But it was also a look at the immediate future, a sign of what Porter intended to do.

To wit: Crawford better be ready to brawl. He was. Porter unleashed a whirlwind of an arsenal — conventional, unconventional and often a blur of both.

“I figured that I had the reach and he had to take chances to come to him and he did what he normally does,’’ Crawford said.  “He tried to maul and push me back but I used my angles and I pushed him back at times as well.  Shawn Porter is a slick fighter he was doing some things in there and made me think

“I know I caught him with a good uppercut and then when I caught hidm with another left hook clean in his face that he was real hurt and his dad did the right thing by stopping it because I was coming with a vengeance.’’

In the end, there was nothing else to do but dance to Chaka Khan’ “Ain’t Nobody.’’

For one night, nobody but Terence Crawford.

Falcao wins technical decision in dull bout stopped by head butt

It was called an eliminator. In one way, it was. The crowd cheered when the final six rounds of the Esquiva Falcao-Patrice Volny was eliminated because head butt.

The butt came late in the sixth after Volny (16-1, 10 KOs), of Montreal, swung his head into Falcao’s face. The bout, so-called eliminator for a shot at the International Boxing Federation’s middleweight title. Everything before then was boring. Think deadly dull.

After it was determined that Falcao could not continue, the scorecards were turned in and counted. Two scores, 57-56 and 58-56 were for Falcao, an Olympic silver medalist from Brazil The third — a head scratcher — was for Volny, 86-84. Falcao (29-0, 20 KOs) got the victory by technical decision.

The crowd got some relief. At least, it was over.

Kazak middleweight Alimkhanuly wins stoppage

Janibek Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7KOs) ), a heavy-handed middleweight from Kazakhstan, administered a beating, landing lethal left hands that rocked Hassan N’Dam around the ring and off the ropes, virtually everywhere except on to the canvas.

Somehow, N’Dam (38-6, 21 KOs) , a former middleweight champion from Cameroon, stayed on his feet throughout the bout on a card featuring Crawford-Porter. But that wasn’t enough for him to have even a slim chance of winning. Finally, Kenny Bayless stopped it at 2:46 of the eighth round of a bout that could have easily been stopped a round or two earlier.

Unbeaten Raymond Muratalla wins fifth-round TKO

There was no stopping Raymond Muratalla (13-0, 11 KOs), a lightweight from Fontana CA. Elias Araujo (21-4, 8KOs), of Argentina, couldn’t. But Allen Huggins could. And did.

Huggins stepped in and ended the bout at 2:20 of the fifth round in the first ESPN + PPV bout on the Crawford-Porter card. Araujo protested, first in anger. Then, in tears. But the referee had seen enough. Muratalla began to land punch after punch. Blood began to drip from a cut on Araujo’s cheek and from his nose.

Huggins saved him from what would have been a bad beating.  

Dogboe wins majority decision

LAS VEGAS –Isaac Dogboe, a fighter from Ghana once projected to be a star, continued to try to regain some of his abundant promise, scoring a narrow victory — majority decision — over Puerto Rican Christopher Diaz (26-4, 16 KOs) on a card featuring Crawford-Porter.

Dogboe , a former 122-pound champion now at featherweight, won his third straight since his career(26-4, 16 KOs) was sidetracked by successive losses to Emanuel Navarrete.

Head butt leads to no decision

There was blood. But there was no decision.

Adan Ochoa (12-2, 5 KOs), a featherweight from Long Beach CA, was badly cut above his right eye in a head butt with Adam Lopez (15-3, 6 LOs of Glendale CA during the first round of a scheduled eight-rounder. on the Crawford-Porter card.

Late in the second, the blood began to flow into Ochoa’s eye. Just as the bell rang to start the third, the fight was stopped, declared a no decision because it had not gone at least four rounds.

Karlos Balderas wins fourth-round stoppage

Karlos Balderas (11-1, 10 KOs), a junior-lightweight from Santa Maria CA, was bigger and just better, scoring repeatedly with combinations, including a headrocking left-right that finished Julio Cortez (15-4, 11 KOs) of Ecuador at 2:13 of the fourth round in the second bout on the Crawford-Porter card.

First Bell: Tiger Jonson kicks off his career and Crawford-Porter card with TKO win

It was first bell. A debut, too.

Tiger Johnson, a welterweight from Cleveland, kicked off his career and the card featuring Terence Crawford-versus-Shawn Porter with a stoppage of Antonius Grable (3-3-1, 3 KOs) in a Saturday matinee at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Johnson landed successive right hands, leaving Grable of Sarasota, FL dazed and done at 1:54 of the fourth round.

Just to make sure that everybody noticed, celebrated by walking toward retired welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who was already in his ringside seat for he ESPN + pay-per-view telecast..

“I’m here, Tim,” Johnson shouted as he leaned over the ropes. “I’m here.”

Follow all the action as Terence Crawford Defends the WBO Welterweight title against two-time champion Shawn Porter.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Porter comes right punching…Uppercut..

Round 2 Crawford turns Southpaw..Right hook from Crawford..Right from Porter..Right hook from Crawford..Good exchange…Right from Crawford..Jab…Body shot at the bell

Round 3 Body shot from Porter..Porter cut over right eye..Porter slips….Cut from Headbutt

Round 4 Hook from Porter..Good left to body from Crawford…Left to Chest…Right from Porter..Left from Crawford..Short left

Round 5 Double right from Porter…Counter right..Porter being aggressive…Right on inside..Left to body from Crawford

Round 6 Right from Crawford…Right from Porter,,,Body shot from Crawford…Left…Another headbutt…Crawford cut on the right eye…Combination from Crawford..

Round 7 Good right from Porter…Jab from Crawford..Uppercut..

Round 8 Good combination from Crawford…4 Punch combination…Jab…2 hard rights from Porter…Body shot from Crawford

Round 9 Double Jab from Crawford…Check Hook..Body shot from Porter…Jab from Crawford…Left to body..and another…Lead Left..

Round 10 COUNTER LEFT AND DOWN GOES PORTER…RIGHT,,,HEAD COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES PORTER…FIGHT STOPPED BY PORTER’S DAD

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – Only two ounces separated them on the scale. That amounts to a couple of AA batteries, or maybe a tennis ball. It’s not much, somewhere between tiny and imperceptible.

Call it even, a sign perhaps of what to expect in a compelling welterweight fight between Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter Saturday (ESPN + pay-per-view/6 pm PT, 9 pm ET) at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena.

Betting odds suggest otherwise. They were 6-to-1 in favor of Crawford after he was at 146.4 pounds and Porter at 146.6 Friday at the formal weigh-in.

If those odds are reliable, Crawford will prove what he’s been saying all along. His skillset, he says, is unrivaled at welterweight and perhaps any weight.

It’s a claim he has asserted and re-asserted throughout a pound-for-pound debate that has shifted in favor of Canelo Alvarez, a super-middleweight champion who apparently is planning to fight for a cruiserweight title.

Against the smart and stubborn Porter, Crawford has a chance to punch some real evidence into his pound-for-pound claim.

“Beating a guy like Shawn Porter would boost my resume and my legacy to the next level,’’ Crawford, the World Boxing Organization’s champion, said earlier this week. “I’m not going to be biased. I’m going to be realistic.

“It depends on how I beat Shawn Porter and what fashion.’’

Fashion could mean just about anything. But a stoppage seems to fit best. It would say everything Crawford hopes to.

However, Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), never a man of many words, said even less Friday. Opening bell is close. He stepped off the scale Friday and only said he wanted to win.

But he punctuated that comment with the intense eyes that appear to to see opportunity in the approaching storm. Lose the opportunity and he has lost the debate.

Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) also understands the stakes. He said a few weeks ago that he thought Crawford, unbeaten and a three-division champion, is already in the Hall of Fame. Porter is not quite there yet. But he’s on the brink, he said. An upset of Crawford would put him there.

Despite the seemingly one-sided odds, Porter has a resume that suggests he can spring that upset.

He has lost three fights – to Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman and Kell Brook He has a draw with Julio Diaz. He’s been down twice, once against Spence and once against Adrian Broner. That’s the part of his record that says he’s vulnerable.

But here’s what says he has a shot: He’s never been stopped. More significant, perhaps, is that he lost narrowly on the scorecards — a split decision — to Spence before Spence was badly hurt in a car crash. Pre-accident, Crawford-Spence might have been a pick-em fight.

Porter’s gritty resilience against Spence is just one marker that says that he can do what the odds say he can’t.

He knows that, knows it enough to smile straight into the menace projected by Crawford’s unforgiving eyes.

They measured each other throughout an unblinking stare-down during the ritual face-off for nearly 23 seconds after the weigh-in.

Porter finally broke it off, faced the crowd and smiled.

“Terence, you know better than I do that you’ve matured,’’ he said a couple of days before the weigh-in. “I feel like people see your personality and your character right now more than they’ve ever seen, but I feel like I’m still correct in saying that when the wrong Tweet or Instagram post goes up, you can get upset.’’

Upset, maybe, in more ways than one.

   •      Terence Crawford 146.4 lbs vs. Shawn Porter 146.6 lbs 
(Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Dave Moretti, Max De Luca and Steve Weisfeld
Referee: Celestino Ruiz  

•     Esquiva Falcao 158.8 lbs vs. Patrice Volny 159.4 lbs 
(IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator — 12 Rounds)

•    Janibek Alimkhanuly 159.8 lbs vs. Hassan N’Dam 158.6 lbs 
(Alimkhanuly’s WBO Global and WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Titles — 10 Rounds)

•    Raymond Muratalla 135.4 lbs vs. Elias Araujo 137 lbs 
(Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)

   •    Isaac Dogbe 125 lbs vs. Christopher Diaz 125.5 lbs
 (Dogboe’s NABF Featherweight Title— 10 Rounds)

   •    Adam Lopez 126.4 lbs vs. Adan Ochoa 126.5 lbs
 (Featherweight — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN APP, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT)

   •      Karlos Balderas 131.8 lbs vs. Julio Cortez 131.4 lbs
 (Junior Lightweight — 6 Rounds)
  •       Tiger Johnson 144.8 lbs vs. Antonius Grable 146.8 lbs
 (Welterweight — 4 Rounds)

By Norm Frauenheim–

LAS VEGAS – Friends aren’t supposed to fight each other. But Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter are about to in a fight fascinating in large part because of a friendship forged and often tested over a couple of decades.

Both 34, they’ve grown up together, brothers-in-arms who on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena will walk to opposite corners and then face each other in perhaps the best bout (ESPN+ pay-per-view, 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET) in the fabled welterweight division in awhile

It’s intriguing for all the usual reasons. There’s legacy and the pound-for-pound debate. It’s also the best fight at any weight in the post-Manny Pacquiao era. It’s a chance to move on in a business so often trapped in nostalgia.

That accounts for some late buzz suddenly surrounding a fight that was kind of lost when formally announced amid noisy hype before Tyson Fury’s wild stoppage of Deontay Wilder in the capper to a heavyweight trilogy on October 9.

Fury-Wilder was a carnival. Crawford-Porter could be a classic.

A sure sign of it is in the absence of the tired trash talk that cheapens so much of what boxing has to offer. In terms of the pre-fight rhetoric, most bouts these days are a cross between pro wrestling and a lousy-lounge act.

The pre-fight tone to this one is different. Translation: Nothing phony about it. The reason rests in what Crawford and Porter know about each other. They’ve watched each other, sometimes in admiration and sometimes warily, as amateurs and then as young pros. They might never have imagined that they would one day meet at the top of the 147-pound division.

But here they are, at a crossroads to a shared journey. In some ways, it almost looks inevitable. Then again, doesn’t everything in hindsight? But much of the bout revolves around what they’ve seen in each other over the years. Their past creates a dramatic dynamic.

They’ll step into the ring as very different personalities. Crawford says little. Porter, a television analyst, says a lot.

Crawford has the most expressive eyes since Thomas Hearns. They say everything. There’s anger there. Menace, too. More than a few opponents have looked into Crawford’s eyes and melted down.

But Porter won’t. He has looked into them. Looked back. Seen that anger. If anything, he’ll try to turn it around, turn it against Crawford.

Porter’s father and trainer, Kenny Porter, looks at Crawford and recalls a testy confrontation with him when the Omaha welterweight was 20-years old. Both Crawford and Shawn were fighting in an amateur tournament in Venezuela. There was a brawl in the stands. Kenny Porter thought he saw Crawford in the middle of it.

Kenny Porter decided to confront Crawford about it. He said he encountered Crawford in a dark hallway beneath the stands. He was about to ask him what in- the-hell happened.

That’s when Kenny Porter said he looked at Crawford and saw those eyes flash like a spark off flint.

“Then, I looked at Terence’s hands, which were already balled up into fists,’’ Kenny Porter said. “He looked at me. It was a look that said: ‘What do you want to do?’

“I decided to walk away. But that’s Terence.’’

Then and now.

It’s the Terence Crawford that father Kenny Porter and son Shawn say is essentially still there.

“I believe Terence Crawford is more dangerous than any fighter today,’’ Kenny Porter said.

But dangerous doesn’t mean unbeatable. Mike Tyson was the defining face of dangerous until he ran into Buster Douglas and then Evander Holyfield.

Shawn Porter puts on his analyst’s cap when he studies today’s Crawford, No. 2 to Canelo Alvarez in many pound-for-pound rankings.

He sees a fighter he might be able to disrupt with an inside attack full of uppercuts and counters.

Crawford’s versatile skillset – an ability to switch from orthodox to southpaw and one-punch power – has allowed him to dictate tempo throughout his unbeaten career (37-0, 28 KOs), which includes titles at three weights. That – and those eyes – help explain the odds. He was a 6-to-1 favorite Thursday.

But Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) thinks he can frustrate Crawford in ways that might anger him enough to interrupt a rhythm that from – fight-to fight – Crawford has been able to establish and sustain.

Porter knows Crawford’s temperament. He has seen him get angry at criticism.

“Every tweet, every social-media post that goes up, you’re going to get upset,’’ Porter said to Crawford Wednesday during the final formal news conference.

Crawford looked back and said:

“Maybe, maybe not.”

Texts and social media posts aren’t exactly uppercuts and counters. But Porter hopes they have the same impact, mostly because he’s seen how an old friend reacts to them. Porter’s use of the word “upset” was no coincidence. That’s what he’s planning.

Maybe, maybe not.

The Pick: Crawford, split decision. In the end, it’s a fight between consummate professionals. That means it will be decided by inches. Crawford is an inch taller. He has four-and-half more inches in reach. He’ll need those advantages and he’ll know how to use them against the clever Porter for a margin of a few points – inches – on the scorecards.

Fight week is here. Terence “Bud” Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title in a legacy-defining super fight against “Showtime” Shawn Porter this Saturday, November 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. 

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Before Crawford and Porter touch gloves, the full suite of fight week events will stream live on Top Rank’s YouTube, Twitter and Facebook pages, in addition to various ESPN platforms.

New episodes of Top Rank Real Time, a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters and their camps, will premier every evening on Top Rank’s YouTube channel.

Thursday, November 18: Crawford vs. Porter Undercard Press Conference
4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT
Streaming on ESPN APP and Top Rank’s YouTube, Twitter & Facebook pages

Friday, November 19: Crawford vs. Porter Official Weigh-In
Undercard Fights (including PPV bouts)
4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT
Live on Top Rank’s YouTube, Twitter & Facebook pages

Main Event 
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
Live on ESPNews and Top Rank’s YouTube, Twitter & Facebook pages

Saturday, November 20: Crawford vs. Porter FIGHT DAY
Early Undercard Fights
6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Live and exclusively on ESPN APP (no paywall)
* Features rising junior lightweight Karlos Balderas and the professional debut of recent U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson in a welterweight bout.

Undercard Broadcast
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
ESPN2 and ESPN+
* Isaac Dogboe-Christopher Diaz (10 rounds, featherweight) & Adam Lopez-Adan Ochoa II (8 rounds, featherweight).

PPV Broadcast
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
CLICK HERE for ESPN+ Order Event Page

* PPV broadcast includes Crawford-Porter, a 12-round IBF middleweight title eliminator featuring unbeaten contenders Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao and Patrice Volny, a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam, and an eight-round lightweight contest between Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Elias “El Macho” Araujo.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 18, 2021)—Before WBO welterweight world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and two-time champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter battle for division supremacy, a loaded PPV undercard and a pair of can’t-miss featherweight fights will set the stage Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The PPV co-feature, a 12-round IBF middleweight world title eliminator, will see Brazilian 2012 Olympic silver medalist Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao fight fellow unbeaten Patrice Volny.
 
The PPV telecast also includes a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam, and an eight-round lightweight duel between unbeaten prospect Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Elias Araujo.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. CLICK HERE to view the ESPN+ order page.

The televised undercard (ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) will feature former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe against two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz, and an eight-round featherweight rematch between Adam Lopez and Adan Ochoa. Lopez defeated Ochoa by four-round decision in 2017 when both fighters were undefeated prospects.

At Thursday’s undercard press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Esquiva Falcao

“You can be sure that I am very well prepared and I will bring the win to Brazil. I had the best training and the best sparring. I trained hard and I sparred hard and now I bring the title to Brazil. My last fight was against a Russian {Artur Akavov} and a very tough opponent. He had never been knocked down and I took him out in the fourth. I am prepared and no one will take this opportunity from me.”

Patrice Volny

“Not many people have seen me because I fight in Canada a lot. I am ready to fight. I have prepared for this and here I am on the stage in Vegas. If we have to box, we will box, and if we have to fight we will fight. I am ready for everything.

“I came to Vegas to train and I learned a little bit from each boxer I trained with. Coming to Vegas early I got to adapt and it’s been great. This is a big opportunity, and opportunities don’t happen every day, and when you get them, you’ve got to take them. We have been working many years for this.”

Janibek Alimkhanuly

“I am here to show the world ‘Qazaq Style.’ I want to put Kazakhstan on the map of boxing, not like all the other stops. My goal is not only to be a one-division champion, but to be a four-division world champion.  

“I think I should have got my first shot (at a world title) yesterday. I prepare 100 percent for each fight and I don’t want to fight former world champions. I want to fight present world champions. He was a good champion – he is a former world champion – and it will be easy work.”

Hassan N’Dam

“I want to thank my team for getting me ready, and I want to thank Bob Arum, and I want to thank my opponent who went to social media to tell me to be ready for the fight. Look at me. You think I’m not ready? I am ready to face you. Saturday night I am going to respond to you in the ring, so be ready.  I think you are ready and you need to be so we can do the good fight.  

“This is a good fight for me, and when I win, I will be closer to a world championship, and that’s why I took the fight. I feel good at middleweight. Super middleweight was too big for me.”

Raymond Muratalla

“I feel like I’ve been putting in the work and it’s really showing. It was more difficult than I thought it would be (coming back from COVID), but I just kept training and it’s been good. In the gym (Robert Garcia Boxing Academy), there are a lot of good fighters and we are sparring a lot with a lot of different styles and just continue to learn. This (fighting on a PPV) has come a lot sooner than I thought. I put in the work and good things are coming. I am different than a lot of fighters, I have a lot of skills and I’m going to show that Saturday night.  He’s an aggressive fighter – I am prepared for anything – so I’ll be good.”

Isaac Dogboe

“The losses to Navarrete helped me to see things clearly and for me to start paving my own way. Boxing has taken me places and got me to meet my new team. My new team made me realize boxing is not all about knockouts – it’s a thinking man’s game. Now I am trying to think a little bit more, enjoy the atmosphere a little bit more. With my new team – Perfecting Athletes – I can eat and drink on the day of a weigh-in and that is crazy, whereas before on fight week I’d be looking like a skeleton. 

“Diaz is a tough man. We know he is an energetic fighter and he will throw overhands and uppercuts. It will be fireworks. Let it begin.”

Christopher Diaz

“{The Navarrete fight} was a great fight. I pushed through every round, and {in the 12th}, I went down three times and I got up three times like the warrior that I am. On Saturday, every time I hit him, he will feel it, and let the best man win.  

“Two weeks after the last fight, they made me the offer to fight Dogboe, so I went back to the gym – let’s get it! I am here to fight the best. Will you go the 130 and fight Ito? Yes. Will you fight Navarrete? Yes. Will you fight Dogboe? Yes. So they send me the offer and here I am. Being the warrior that I am I will continue to get opportunities. It will be a great fight on Saturday night and the best man is going to win.”

Adam Lopez

“The kid is tough, and when we first fought, I have to give him credit. He was a tough competitor and had no quit in him. He’s got 12 wins and a couple losses, so that’s a winning record to me, and I’ve never turned down anybody, so let’s do it. I got pushed up quick with the {Oscar} Valdez fight. I went from a nobody to a featherweight contender. I’ve held my own against the best in the world. You all know I can fight, and I bring it every time, and it’s going to be a tough fight for sure.”

Adan Ochoa

“It’s always been on my mind since the first loss and it’s personal to me. I’m not the same fighter I was four years ago. I was barely an amateur transitioning into professional and now I feel like I’m ready for this. There is no animosity – it is just a loss that has stayed in the back of my mind.  You can expect fireworks. I am going to go straight at him and do what I’ve got to do to win.”

SATURDAY, November 20, 2021

ESPN+ PPV, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter, 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title

Raymond Muratalla vs. Elias Araujo, 8 rounds, lightweight

ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Isaac Dogboe vs. Christopher Diaz, 10 rounds, Dogboe’s NABF Featherweight Title

Adam Lopez vs. Adan Ochoa, 8 rounds, featherweight

ESPN APP (no paywall), 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Karlos Balderas vs. Julio Cortez, 6 rounds, junior lightweight

Tiger Johnson vs. Antonius Grable, 4 rounds, welterweight

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 17, 2021)—Terence “Bud” Crawford and “Showtime” Shawn Porter didn’t need to hoot and holler to make their point. With fight day three days away, they were all business. The longtime acquaintances came up together in the amateur ranks in the late 2000s. At the time, Porter outweighed Crawford by more than 30 pounds. More than a decade later, the welterweight stars are finally crossing paths.

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight pound-for-pound great, will make the fifth defense of his WBO welterweight title against Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. CLICK HERE to view the ESPN+ order page.

At Wednesday’s main event press conference, this is what Crawford and Porter had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I respect everything that Shawn does. Shawn is athletic, he can box, he can bang, he can move around in the ring, he can cut corners and take angles. I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t respect anything that he does. I’m just going to say that I do a lot of things better than Shawn. I’m going to show him come Saturday.

“Once we signed that contract, the switch was already flipped and I can’t wait to go out there Saturday to display my talent and look good doing it. Until then, right now I’m just chilling, playing Call of Duty in the room by myself all day. I’ve been in the room all day isolating.” 

Shawn Porter

“I don’t think there’s too much that I can say to Bud that’s going to change the way he thinks about himself and the outcome of this fight. He can’t look at me and say, ‘I’m going to beat your ass’ and I’m going to believe that, and he knows that, and he won’t dare to do it. I could say the exact same thing he said, and I believe it.

“Terence, you know better than I do that you’ve matured. I feel like people see your personality and your character right now more than they’ve ever seen, but I feel like I’m still correct in saying that when the wrong Tweet or Instagram post goes up, you can get upset.

“There are people you can get to, and there are people that you can’t get to. I’m one of those people that you can’t get to, and I got a feeling that you can get to him quicker on the microphone than you can in the ring. In the ring, he is solid, but there may be something that is posted or said that might have an affect on him {during} the fight.

“I’m relaxing, I’m drinking water and just biding my time. I am a showtime fighter, and I can’t wait for showtime on ESPN+ PPV. I’m a really even-keeled type of guy. I like things to be easy, and fight week is always easy for me.”

SATURDAY, November 20, 2021

ESPN+ PPV, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter, 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title

Raymond Muratalla vs. Elias Araujo, 8 rounds, lightweight

ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Isaac Dogboe vs. Christopher Diaz, 10 rounds, Dogboe’s NABF Featherweight Title

Adam Lopez vs. Adan Ochoa, 8 rounds, featherweight

ESPN APP (no paywall), 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Karlos Balderas vs. Fidel Cervantes, 6 rounds, junior lightweight

Tiger Johnson vs. Antonius Grable, 4 rounds, welterweight

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 10, 2021) — Raymond “Danger” Muratalla, the 24-year-old lightweight star from Fontana, California, has a new opponent for his PPV debut Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. After unbeaten prospect Steven Ortiz was forced to withdraw due to injury, Muratalla will fight Argentina’s Elias “El Macho” Araujo in an eight-rounder to open the PPV broadcast of the welterweight super fight between undefeated WBO world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former two-time welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

The PPV telecast also includes a 12-round IBF middleweight title eliminator featuring unbeaten contenders Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao and Patrice Volny, and a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), who trains with Robert Garcia in Riverside, California, has won seven consecutive bouts by knockout. Araujo (21-3, 8 KOs) has never been stopped as a professional, and his only two lightweight defeats have come via close decision. He was supposed to fight Joseph Adorno in Las Vegas on Nov. 5, but the bout was scrapped after Adorno missed the contract weight.

Before the PPV broadcast commences, Southern California natives Adam “BluNose” Lopez and Adan Ochoa will fight in an eight-round featherweight rematch on the undercard telecast (ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) headlined by the scheduled 10-round featherweight firefight between former world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe and two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz. Lopez (15-3, 6 KOs) hopes to rebound from June’s razor-thin decision loss to Dogboe, while Ochoa (12-2, 5 KOs) seeks retribution. Ochoa and Lopez fought as undefeated prospects in April 2017, and Lopez prevailed by four-round unanimous decision.

The fight action begins on the ESPN App (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) with a pair of young stars. 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (10-1, 9 KOs) looks to continue his winning ways against Julio Cortez (15-3, 11 KOs) in a six-rounder at junior lightweight, while recent U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson will make his long-awaited professional debut in a welterweight four-rounder versus Antonius Grable (3-1-1, 3 KOs). Johnson recently signed a long-term promotional pact with Top Rank.

Balderas, the fighting pride of Santa Maria, California, lost his unbeaten record with a shocking knockout loss to Rene Tellez Giron in December 2019. After the setback, Balderas changed managers, signed a promotional contract with Top Rank, and linked up with noted trainer Buddy McGirt. He came back in August with a second-round knockout over Fidel Cervantes. Cortez, a seven-year pro, has never been knocked out.

Johnson, from Cleveland, Ohio, advanced to the quarterfinals of the welterweight bracket at the Tokyo Olympics before losing a decision to eventual gold medalist Roniel Iglesias (Cuba).

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

ESPN’s platforms will offer an extensive lineup of programming leading up to the highly anticipated showdown between WBO welterweight world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and his toughest test ever, former two-time world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter. The event will stream exclusively on ESPN+ PPV Saturday, Nov. 20, at 9 p.m. ET.  Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, the fight is the first-ever Top Rank-ESPN+ exclusive PPV. 

Kicking off the two weeks of offerings is the two-part Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter.Part One can be seen Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 12:30 a.m. (Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. PT).  Part 2 of Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter airs on ESPN2 on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2:30 p.m. The original all-access series takes fans behind the scenes in the training camp of both fighters. Both parts will replay multiple times until fight night.  

On Thursday, the entire ESPN boxing analyst team, including Joe Tessitore, Bernardo Osuna and Mark Kriegel, along with former pound-for-pound king Andre Ward and former world champion Timothy Bradley, preview the welterweight blockbuster. State of Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Preview Special streams exclusively on ESPN+ on Thursday, Nov. 18.  

In addition, the “Get Ready for Crawford vs. Porter” ESPN+ on-demand collection is now live on the ESPN App. This is available through the day of the fight on web, mobile, the ESPN App, and wherever one can stream on-demand ESPN+ content.  It includes great historical fights for both Crawford and Porter. 

Long considered possibly the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport, Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) will step into the ring looking to maintain his perfect record. Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) has fought most of this generation’s elite welterweights and has standout victories over the likes of Danny Garcia, Adrien Broner, Paulie Malignaggi, Andre Berto, Devon Alexander and Yordenis Ugas.  

The Crawford-Porter card, from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, will begin at 9 p.m. ET exclusively on ESPN+ PPV.  It will be preceded by the undercard at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and an earlier undercard at 6 p.m. ET on the ESPN App.  

Crawford vs. Porter Programming Lineup 

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 4, 2021) — There will be plenty of fistic reinforcements Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Two high-stakes middleweight showdowns and a 50-50 fight featuring undefeated lightweights will comprise the televised PPV undercard of the welterweight super fight between undefeated WBO world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former two-time welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

The co-feature, a 12-round IBF middleweight world title eliminator, will see Brazilian 2012 Olympic silver medalist Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao fight fellow unbeaten Patrice Volny.

The PPV telecast also includes a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam, and an eight-round lightweight duel between unbeaten prospects Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Steven “The Hitman” Ortiz.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Before the PPV telecast, a special feature will set the stage. Former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will face two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz in a 10-round featherweight bout. Dogboe-Diaz will be shown live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Additional undercard fights will be announced shortly.

Falcao (28-0, 20 KOs) is a seven-year pro who signed with Top Rank following the 2012 Olympics. The 31-year-old southpaw has steadily climbed the world rankings and has knocked out five straight foes dating back to 2019. In his last outing, he stopped former world title challenger Artur Akavov in four rounds. Volny (16-0, 10 KOs), from Montreal, Canada, has fought all his pro fights in his home country and is coming off a March knockout over noted tough man Janks Trotter. The winner of Falcao-Volny will be in line to fight for the title currently held by Gennadiy Golovkin.

“I have waited for an opportunity like this for a long time, and I will grab it with both hands,” Falcao said. “I have an Olympic medal, and now it’s time to add a professional world title to my trophy case.”

Volny said, “I had several major opportunities fall through, but I am ecstatic that the fight with Falcao is happening. It won’t be an easy fight, but I have been training for a long time, and I will do whatever it takes to earn my shot at the title.”

Alimkhanuly (10-0, 6 KOs) is ranked the No. 2 middleweight by the WBO and coming off his signature win, an eighth-round stoppage over former world champion Rob Brant. From Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, the 2016 Olympian has knocked out four straight opponents dating back to April 2019. N’Dam (38-5, 21 KOs), a 17-year pro from Cameroon, held the WBA middleweight world title in 2017 and challenged for world titles on three other occasions. After a pair of defeats at super middleweight, N’Dam returns to the middleweight ranks, where he most recently defeated the formidable Martin Murray via majority decision.

Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), from Fontana, California, has risen to prominence fighting out of the famed Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Riverside, California. He last fought on the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez card in May, knocking out Jose Gallegos in five rounds. Ortiz (12-0, 3 KOs), from Philadelphia, has made a habit of knocking off undefeated prospects. In his last six fights, he has defeated four undefeated fighters, including a unanimous decision over the 14-0 Jeremy Hill in March.

Dogboe (22-2, 15 KOs) has revitalized his career since back-to-back title fight losses to Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. After a comeback knockout over Chris Avalos, he bested Adam Lopez by majority decision in June. Diaz (26-3, 16 KOs) is a two-time world challenger coming off a 12th-round TKO loss in a bid for Navarrete’s WBO featherweight world title. The Puerto Rican veteran had won two bouts as a featherweight entering the Navarrete fight and hopes a win over Dogboe leads to a third crack at world title glory.

“I’m excited for this challenge, a massive opportunity to get closer to becoming a two-division world champion,” Dogboe said. “This is a fight the fans won’t want to miss. I know Christopher is tough, but I’m stronger, tougher, and smarter. I’d like to commend everyone at Top Rank for making this fight possible and to Diaz for accepting the challenge. I always want to give the fans something to remember. That’s why I leave it all in the ring.”

Diaz said, “I’m coming back, and I’m very excited about fighting on a great stage like Crawford vs. Porter. Dogboe is a solid fighter who only has two losses against Navarrete. We both have a lot to give to boxing. The fans already know what to expect every time I get in the ring. I’m sure this fight will steal the show on November 20.”

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

LAS VEGAS – It’ a fight between friends. It’s a fight for legacy. It’s a fight for all seasons. And all the right reasons.

Finally, there will be a step toward some real resolution at the top of the welterweight division between fighters represented by rival promotional entities.

The fight between Terence Crawford, of Top Rank, and Shawn Porter, of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), was a done deal a few weeks ago. The marketing began Saturday with a formal news conference for the November 20 fight (pay-per-view, ESPN+) at Mandalay Bay.

“It’s my biggest fight, no doubt,’’ said Crawford, a former lightweight and junior-welterweight champion who has a chance to reassert his pound-for-pound claim on a big stage.

For Porter, it’s a chance to define how he will be remembered. A victory over Crawford, he said, will put him closer to the fame be believes Crawford already has.

“I think I’m on the brink of being in the Hall of Fame,’’ Porter said. “I think he’s done enough already to be in. My legacy depends on me beating Terence Crawford.’’  

The news conference at the MGM Grand was a preliminary to a long day of boxing in Vegas. The newser ended just a few hours before the Fox/ESPN pay-per-view card featuring Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder at T-Mobile Arena began.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 9, 2021) — The longtime WBO welterweight king and pound-for-pound star, Terence Crawford, finally has the super fight he craves. Enter Shawn Porter, the two-time champion who has fought most of this generation’s elite welterweights.

Crawford and Porter will fight Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The two met face-to-face Saturday for a kickoff press conference, alongside their respective trainers and promoters.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

This is what the fighters and their teams had to say Saturday in Las Vegas.

TERENCE CRAWFORD
“We always have had a good relationship ever since the amateur days. There has never been any bad blood. It’s always been all love, but come November 20, we step on him. 

“It’s put up or shut up. In my eyes, I can stand up and pull my shirt out and I can really show this 8-pack I got because you know I stay working. I stay working. That is nothing new to me, and it isn’t anything new to you. You know what you are up against on November 20. I know what I’m against on November 20. 

“We are going to give the fans a great night of boxing. It will be fireworks from the first bell to bell 12 if you last that long.  

“Unlike other fighters that you fought, I’m different. I believe you know that I’m different. The more you push, the more I will push. You hit me hard, and l will hit you even harder if you can last. That’s what makes this fight a great fight. 

“A dominating win against Porter will boost my status as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. 

“Everybody is excited. My family, my friends, my supporters have been dying to be at a live event and this will be the first time in a long time where they can see Terence Crawford live in action. Everybody is hungry for it, just like I have been dying to get in the ring. The time is now. I’m going to give everyone what they have been asking for.”

SHAWN PORTER
“When I get in the ring, I command the ring. When I get in a room, I command the room. 

“I believe this fight is happening right on time. There’s no secret that there is a lot of respect between me and Terence.

“We can talk all about resumes, but when I look at his resume, nobody that has been in the ring with him, knows him as I know him. The best of Terence Crawford will bring out the best of Shawn Porter. What I do know is November 20 is a big day for boxing and it will be a big day for Team Porter. 

“I’m sure I’m on the brink of getting into the Hall of Fame. For me, it’s not only win or go home. It’s win, or nothing else. My life right now it’s all about beating and dominating Crawford. My legacy will depend on beating Terence Crawford. 

“He is a dominant fighter. Everyone he gets in the ring with, he dominates. I want to be the one fighter that he can’t dominate. Everything that is required to beat Terence, I got it. It’s time to take on this challenge. 

“On November 20, the energy will be great. Fight night will be unlike no other. This will be the crazy energy you ever felt and I’m looking forward to it.” 

BOB ARUM, Top Rank Chairman
“I want to thank Tom Brown for his cooperation. With the companies that we represent cooperating, it will only be good for boxing, and we can do bigger and better matches. 

“Terence Crawford is the only unified champion sitting on this stage. He unified the 140-pound division, and maybe the reason he hasn’t fought other top welterweights, it’s because you guys were hiding them because you didn’t want to put them in with Terence.” 

TOM BROWN, TGB Promotions President
“This really is a tremendous fight. I want to congratulate Top Rank for putting this great fight together.  

“This is the kind of fight that both the fans and the media have asked for and we were able to deliver it. 

“Terence Crawford is a great fighter, and he has fought great fighters, but this guy (Porter) right here is on a whole other level. Shawn Porter is one of the best welterweights in the world, but also one of the best fighters in the sport.” 

BRIAN MCINTYRE, Crawford’s Trainer
“On paper, this is the toughest fight of Terence’s career, but we will not know until we actually get in the ring. As a trainer, I want this to be the toughest fight for Terence because you are going to see a better Terence Crawford. The better the fighter, the better that Terence is. 

“Something about this camp is very special. We ready. You can’t bring random sparring partners when you are facing someone like Porter. We have to search the world for the best of the best.”

KENNY PORTER, Shawn Porter’s Trainer
“You can’t beat this type of caliber fighter fighting the way you always fought. You have to change everything. You have to be better. Shawn has been away training in the mountains. Secluded. Just himself and God. 

“BoMac is a great trainer. Terence is an excellent fighter. We have an enormous amount of respect for him and his team. Every day I’m trying to figure out and see what we can do better. You must change. You must be better when you are facing a fighter of his caliber.” 

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 29, 2021) — Pound-for-pound star Terence “Bud” Crawford has called out the welterweight superstars for years.  His long wait for a legacy-defining fight is now over. Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title and unbeaten record Saturday, Nov. 20 against two-time welterweight champion and WBO No. 1 contender “Showtime” Shawn Porter at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets starting at $54 go on sale Monday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com. Undercard information will be announced shortly.

“This is a fight that reminds me of all the great welterweight battles of the 1980s and 90s, two prime fighters unafraid to tackle the biggest challenge available to them,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Terence has wanted a challenge like this for a very long time, and I am confident he will rise to the occasion. Shawn Porter, however, is not an easy night for any fighter.”

“I’ve been calling out the top welterweights since I moved up to 147 in 2018, and I’m excited that Shawn stepped up,” Crawford said. “This fight will bring out the best in me and showcase parts of my game that the world hasn’t seen yet. On November 20, I will silence my doubters and prove that I am the best welterweight in the world.”

Porter said, “I’ve wanted this fight for a long time and now my patience has paid off. Throughout my career, I’ve taken on the best and proven myself as a man who gives 100 percent in everything I do. Terence Crawford is a great, versatile fighter who is very athletic just like myself. We are the two best welterweights in the world, and on November 20, we get a chance to prove who is the best. Fight fans can expect a great show that night and, with this victory, I will cement myself as the best welterweight of this era.”

Matt Kenny, Vice President, Programming & Acquisition, ESPN added, “We are thrilled to present this blockbuster welterweight showdown exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. This is the kind of fight that boxing fans dream of and we are looking forward to a tremendous event on November 20.”

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight world champion from America’s heartland, Omaha, Nebraska, has made four defenses of his world title since knocking off Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in June 2018. A mainstay near the upper rungs of the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, Crawford has been a world champion since March 2014. He defeated WBO lightweight world champion Ricky Burns on enemy soil in Scotland and made his first title defense in front of the Omaha faithful with a ninth-round stoppage over Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford became the first man in the four-belt era to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion, and he is 4-0 with four knockouts since moving up to welterweight. His knockout streak of eight dates back to July 2016, when he notched a one-sided decision over Viktor “The Iceman” Postol at MGM Grand Garden Arena to unify two of the junior welterweight world titles. Crawford is coming off last November’s fourth-round knockout over Kell Brook inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs), a 13-year pro from Akron, Ohio, first tasted championship glory in December 2013 when he outfought the previously undefeated Devon Alexander to win the IBF welterweight title. He knocked out two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi in his first title defense before Brook edged him by majority decision in August 2014. Over the next seven years, Porter continued fighting the welterweight elite, becoming a two-time world champion in 2018 when he toppled Danny Garcia to win the WBC welterweight title. He defended that title against future Manny Pacquiao conqueror Yordenis Ugas before taking Errol Spence Jr. to the limit in a September 2019 title unification tilt. After dropping a split decision to Spence, Porter regrouped with a one-sided decision over Sebastian Formella in August 2020 to set up the Crawford showdown.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in three mainevents that miraculously did not conflict and more miraculously concluded before midnight ESPN’s Joe Smith beat the fight out light heavyweight former titlist Eleider Alvarez, former titlist “Showtime” Shawn Porter won each of his 2,160 seconds with a German welterweight named Sebastian Formella on Fox, and Russian former heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin put the cuss in concussion against British hopeful Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte on DAZN.

Smith was the evening’s best winner, even while Povetkin was its biggest and Porter its least-surprising, at least so far as mainevents went, and whosoever has time or desire anymore to endure much more than those?  (Actually, that’s a touch disingenuous; bantamweight southpaw Robert Rodriguez has emerged as something of a bubble phenom, needing fewer than seven minutes to ice fighters with an aggregate record of 19-0-1.)  Saturday favored men who work hard without needing inspiration from without.

Pressure guys, volume guys, the undissuadable.  While Smith fetches all the bluecollared clichés Porter fights no less doggedly, even while trying to sparkle.  Povetkin doesn’t seem to care one way or the other.

He’s chinnier than publicists colored him as a young Soviet, and at 6-foot-2 almost prohibitively short for a contemporary heavyweight, but he can crack and crack proper.  I recall a local trainer telling me about Povetkin’s power, wildeyed, while standing in a tent at Camp Verde, Ariz.,13 years ago, an hour before Tommy Morrison’s MMA debut, many years before Povetkin began flunking IQ tests administered by various sanctioning-body-approved drug examiners.

I know, I know, the two guys who beat Povetkin and looked ready for a Mr. Olympia posedown were clean as whistles, of course, and you can’t possibly judge an athlete’s substance regimen by something unreliable as your own eyes and experience, but whatever put Povetkin in position for a perfect left uppercut Saturday was no more likely a banned substance than what put him on the bluemat twice a few minutes before.

Aside from the knockdowns, at 40 Povetkin didn’t look any worse – slow, robotic, predictable – than his heavyweight peers do and hardly worse than Whyte did at 32.  He looked chinny and uninspired to Whyte’s merely uninspired.

There’s a counterintuitive element of cardiovascular fitness required simply to stand across from a heavyweight, it’s damn taxing even when nothing happens, and it makes a decent argument for busyness: You’re going to be heaving for breath after three minutes of trying not to get whirligigged, anyway, so why not move round a bit and give folks a show?  Heavyweights used to do this, really, before all became lumbering headhunters.

Povetkin, for being the shorter man in his career’s biggest fights, knew better, somehow, to snatch Whyte’s body than did the Body Snatcher, and while the previous round’s crumplings on the bluemat weren’t premeditated to make Whyte overconfident they had that effect, and Povetkin’s telegraphed hook to Whyte’s body was indeed premeditated.  Whyte’s eyes followed Povetkin’s head and Whyte’s mind followed the pattern Povetkin’s earlier hooks set.  Then suddenly Povetkin’s fist was through Whyte’s chin, not after his liver, and if Whyte tells you he remembers any of the 10 minutes that followed he’s fibbing.

If Eleider Alvarez tells you he still enjoys prizefighting he’s fibbing too.  Alvarez hadn’t the tools nor will to dissuade Smith in Saturday’s best match, and Smith gobbled him up.

A few months ago I purchased a Roomba and have spent hours, fully unpredicted hours, mind you, diverting myself with its observation.  I didn’t envision writing about Carlota – that’s her name – but then I didn’t either expect to think of her while watching Joe Smith.  It’s the undiscouraged relentlessness they share.  About halfway between Carlota coming in my consciousness and Smith snatching Alvarez’s, too, I read a book by Melanie Mitchell, Complexity: A guided tour, that explores genetic algorithms, first explored by the irreplaceable John Henry Holland, and how they might be used in a self-learning program to teach a digital robot to collect cans on a virtual grid.

The simple strategy – go in a straight line till you hit a wall then pause and look around – succeeds in a way much more complicated strategies do not.  It succeeds with machines for the reason it fails with most humans: Without a need to find meaning in their universe, machines suffer never from discouragement or boredom and do not mind repeating work.  It’s how a Roomba like Carlota, who “cares” not a whit whether surfaces are sparkling or filmed with dust, outperforms humans who care deeply.  Carlota’s job is to go in straight lines till she hits a wall then turn slightly and go in another straight line and keep doing so till her power is cut; if she’s not entirely oblivious of feedback from her environment neither is she staking her identity on it.

Similarly volume punchers like Joe Smith find satisfaction in the doing much more than the effecting.  They begin with a wisely limiting strategy of doing the same thing over and over in a faith that looks nigh machine-like: If I simply hit something with my fists 30 times next round I succeed.  They are constants who rely on other men’s variability, other men’s reliance on feedback, other men’s proneness to discouragement.

Alvarez exhibited all these things, Saturday, and eventually got knocked out the ring for them.  Showtime Shawn exhibited none of these things and went 36-0 on official scorecards against a German who didn’t have a chance at a thing more than moral victory even before making his trip from Hamburg.  Porter is a pro.  He takes every opponent seriously and goes hard.  He’s the PBC fighter for whom I most often catch myself cheering.

I like him the way I liked Juan Diaz and loved Timothy Bradley; they beat over 12 rounds flashier guys who undress them in three-round sparring sessions; they don’t have off nights because they haven’t a plan B.  That makes them vulnerable to their sport’s alpha predators, yes, but they reward their supporters disproportionately to their talent.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Former world champion Shawn Porter won a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sebastian Formella in a welterweight elimination bout at The Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Porter landed 304 punches of 785 thrown. Formella was 148 of 586.

Porter, 146.6 lbs of Akron, OH won by shutout scores of 120-108 on all cards, and is now 31-3-1. Formella, 146 lbs of Germany is 22-1.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Porter. “After about six rounds my dad told me that he’s going to keep taking these punches, so I just needed to keep the pressure on him.”

“I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere,” said Porter.

“The game plan was to use finesse and subtlety,” said Porter. “I went in there looking for the shot and ready to take the openings. I wanted to be aggressive, but not too aggressive, because we knew he would run. We worked on cutting off the ring and I think it all worked out tonight.

“For me it made sense to fight up on my toes. It’s a different type of rhythm and a lot of guys don’t know when I’m coming and going. I think it mixed things up for Formella tonight. We worked on fast jabs, powerful jabs, directing the jab and today he couldn’t tell which one was coming. I was popping his head back and of course also going to the body.”

“We had a lot of film on Formella,” said Porter. “I knew that his focus would be on his feet and when it wasn’t the feet, he would be covering up. I could tell his corner was telling him to punch with me or right after me, so he connected on me that way. I had to get on a different rhythm for him. He was able to play some chess and he did well. My dad always says that the mind controls everything. I think he had his mind made up that he was going to take everything and go 12 rounds. His body followed his mind tonight.”

“We definitely worked on throwing the overhand right for this fight,” said Porter. “We worked on our power a lot and in the beginning I wanted to land that overhand right. I was really keyed in on that. My dad said to stick to the speed and that would set up the power. I switched it up to straight rights to the body because that’s more of a speed punch.”

“I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere,” said Porter, who dropped a close decision to Spence in a unification bout last year, and defeated Garcia to capture the WBC title in 2018.

“There’s no telling what they’ll see from me in a rematch,” added Porter later. “I think both guys can also make adjustments. That’s what makes rematches so great, the fans have seen what both of you can do and they want to see who will make the right adjustments. I definitely think that I will be a little different against either guy.”

Fundora Stops Gallimore in 6

Sebastian Fundora stopped Nathaniel Gallimore in round six of a scheduled 10-round junior middleweight fight.

The 6’6″ Fundora beat up and battered Gallimoe for the balance of the fight, and the fight was stopped after Fundora landed a hard combination at 1:28.

Fundora, 153.2 lbs of Los Angeles is now 15-0-1 with 10 knockouts. Gallimore, 152.6 lbs of Kingston, JAM is 22-5-1.

“I give my performance a 10 out of 10,” said Fundora. “I did what I had to do tonight. We’re always working on our distance and controlling that part of the fight, because I know I’m going to need it throughout my career. Whatever my team thinks is best for me next, I’ll be ready for it.”

“My ring outfit tonight is dedicated to the COVID-19 victims,” said Fundora. “I just want to say, keep wearing your masks, wear your gloves and sanitize your hands so we can bring boxing back to the fans. I also want to dedicate this fight to my promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who just won a big fight with cancer and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Joey Spencer remained undefeated by stopping Shawn West in a scheduled six-round middleweight bout.

In round two, Spencer dropped West with a right hand that was followed by a hard combination that finished up by a right to the head.

In round four, Spencer rocked West with a hard right hand. West was on shaky legs before Spencer jumped on him and landed a hard combination that put West down, and the fight was stopped at

Spencer, 155.8 lbs of Linden, MI is 11-0 with eight knockouts. West, 155.6 lbs of Davenport, IA is 5-2.

“I felt great about my performance tonight,” said Spencer. “I did everything we had been working on. After the knockdown, I took my time and threw a good flurry. We knew he was tough, so I just stayed calm and took the right shot when it came. I think the experience I’ve had so far in my career showed through in this fight.”

“I studied everybody heading into this fight,” said Spencer. “That’s something that made a big difference. I used to study boxing as a hobby and got away from it the last couple years, mostly watching just my own fights. But I’ve watched a wide variety of fighters, from classic fighters, to current prospects. I watched a lot of Sugar Ray Leonard and Robert Duran, a lot of contrasting styles. I also watched a lot of Errol Spence, Jr., Caleb Plant and Shawn Porter, amongst others. There was no limit on how much I watched in this camp and I think it showed.

“I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have the family and the team that I have. Everyone plays a huge part and does something to keep the train moving. Tough situations like the pandemic are just another day for me.”

Justin DeLoach stopped previously undefeated Livan Navarro in the opening round of their scheduled 10-round welterweight fight.

DeLoach dropped Navarro twice with the 2nd knockdown ending the fight at 2:15.

DeLoach, 149.9 lbs of Augusta, GA is 19-4 with 10 knockouts. Navarro, 147.8 lbs of Havana, CUB is 11-1.

Edward Ortiz won a eight-round split decision over Antonio Todd in a super middleweight bout.

Todd outlanded Ortiz 90-89.

Ortiz took cards by 77-75 scores. Todd won a card 77-75.

Ortiz, 163.4 lbs of San Antonio is 11-0-2. Todd, 161 lbs of Atlanta is 7-4.

LOS ANGELES (August 20, 2020) -Two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter and unbeaten German contender Sebastian Formella previewed their welterweight title eliminator on an international media conference call Thursday, before they headline FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, this Saturday, August 22 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The call also featured rising undefeated contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and hard-hitting Nathaniel Gallimore discuss their 10-round super welterweight showdown that serves as the co-main event.

FOX PBC Fight Night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will also see sensational rising prospect Joey Spencer in a six-round middleweight special attraction against Shawn West. All programming can be live streamed in English and Spanish on the new FOX Sports app. FOX Deportes offers delayed coverage of all FOX and FS1 programming beginning at 10:00 PM ET.

The Porter vs. Formella event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Microsoft Theater, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

Here is what the conference call participants had to say Thursday:

SHAWN PORTER

“This fight for me is a matter of getting boxing back going. We’ve had a couple of big fights, but I really do think that boxing gets kicked off this Saturday night with ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter and Sebastian Formella. We’ve trained hard and endured the conditions that everyone has had to endure and made the most of it. We started training in my father’s backyard in April and now we’re back up and running. We’ve done everything we were able to do against any other fighter in preparation for this fight

“I know that Formella is a boxer who likes to move and use the outside and box. We’re prepared to take the fight to him. We’re going to be smart and tactical, but aggressive as always. We’re going to go in there shining, looking great and make a statement to the world that boxing and Shawn Porter are still here.

“I think Formella has more of an amateur rhythm, because he’s not going to fight in the middle of the ring and slip and counter. He has a very well developed style of fighting that has helped him get to where he is.

“I’m different from most fighters. It’s a trend in boxing where fighters look past opponents, but I learned a long time ago that you have to focus on what’s in front of you and make the most of it. In my dad’s mind, we did even more for this fight than we did in getting prepared for Errol Spence, Jr.

“The plan is to get back into a world title fight. I don’t know exactly when that plan will come together, but I’ll be ready. I’m keeping my eye on the Errol Spence, Jr. vs. Danny Garcia fight as a potential future opponent, but also as a fan of the sport.

“My dad is all about hard work, commitment and integrity. We get that in every camp and in preparation for every fight, no matter who it is. Our mindset after the fight with Spence is the same as it’s always been, that’s to win. That’s what we’re going to do.

“We’ve been in a lot of uncomfortable positions inside the ring and in training and that’s what helps me get better. I’m comfortable in discomfort. That’s what I thrive off of. I’m always willing and usually able to make the adjustments to adapt to these situations.

“One thing we really worked on in this fight, without even knowing we were facing Formella, is our power. We did our strength program longer than we normally would and I know that the power is going to show up on Saturday night.

“I have friends in Germany who were able to give me information on Formella. We got all the tape and the information needed. We knew who he was training with and when he came to the U.S. I’ve done everything I need to do to be ready for this fighter.”

SEBASTIAN FORMELLA

“I’m happy to have this chance to fight one of the best welterweight boxers in the world. I trained very hard and I’m very excited to get into the ring.

“We made plans A, B and C because Porter is a strong fighter who comes forward and attacks the body and head. He has heavy hands so we looked at his mistakes and made a plan to box him and show off our style. I have good footwork and can move around. I think it will be an interesting style for him to face. I have the skills to make life very difficult in the ring for Shawn Porter.

“I’m a fighter who moves very well and I have good defense. I know how to keep my distance. I’m not the hardest hitter, but I’m a very smart fighter. I make my opponent have to think and make it very difficult for them. Fast feet and fast hands will be the key.

“My jab is going to be very important. Porter is going to attack me very hard and fight on the inside. I have to make sure I don’t fight inside with Porter too much. I’m going to keep the distance.

“We sparred with Yordenis Ugas for a week but we also worked with other strong fighters who really trained me to fight on the inside. All of the work put me in a great position. I learned a lot in that week with Ugas and I will show it in the fight.

“It makes me very sad that we can’t have fans in the stadium. The atmosphere in the U.S. for big fights is so crazy and beautiful. It’s disappointing, but I think it will help me because it’s something new for Shawn and not what he’s used to.

“My movement is going to be the most important, but also my mindset. I say all the time, strong mind and strong life. I’m going to be something new for him and I’m going to make it an interesting fight for everybody watching.

“Shawn Porter is a complete fighter, but we have a plan to beat him and that’s what we will do on Saturday. It’s very important for me to get this win and open the door for more big fights. Welterweight is a strong division in the U.S. and I have to do everything I can to earn more opportunities.”

SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

“It’s nice to be here in this position and back fighting in my home state of California. I’m very grateful for the opportunity. Come Saturday night, I’m ready to make a statement.

“I won’t have any problem on the scales tomorrow. I walk around at this weight and we were prepared and ready for the scales before we even came to the venue.

“Every fight is different, and every camp is different, so we worked on different things. We’ll see what Gallimore brings on Saturday and take what we learned in camp into the ring.

“My life is a camp. I basically lived the quarantine life already. My gym is in my backyard so I didn’t have to go anywhere. We just had to bring in sparring and we were ready.

“I fight however I feel comfortable. Inside or outside. However it feels best to me in the training camp, that’s what I bring into the ring. I understand why people say that I need to work on my jab, but a lot of those people haven’t been in the ring. I listen to my trainer and my team and do what makes sense to me.

“My dad is good at finding sparring partners, so that wasn’t a problem for me. This really was just like any other camp. I couldn’t say there were any problems.

“I definitely fight with the Mexican style. That’s the side of me that I’m representing in the ring, so that’s what I’m looking to show off every time.

“This an opportunity to face another elite fighter, so a win will definitely get me closer to the title. The final decision will be up to my team, but I feel like I’ll be ready soon. I think this is the toughest competition of my career. Getting a win will be a big step forward.”

NATHANIEL GALLIMORE

“I’m glad to be back in the ring. I’m fully focused, back with my original coach George Hernandez and ready to show the world what I have.

“Fundora is a good fighter, but I know that he hasn’t faced anyone like me. It’s going to be totally different facing me. Whatever he has prepared for, it won’t be enough when he faces me.

“The experience is definitely something that I have over him. But I just know that in my last couple fights I wasn’t really near my best. I know what I really bring to the table and I’m going to execute and do what I do best on Saturday.

“I wasn’t fighting in a way that I was comfortable with in the Erickson Lubin fight. I was thinking too much. I just have to fight my fight and be me. I know what I have to do.

“This is the first step toward a world title. I have to take care of Fundora, then the gates are going to be wide open after that.

“You always have to study your own fights and see the positives and negatives. I know what was missing and I’ve worked with my trainer to fix those mistakes. That makes me very confident in what I need to do Saturday night.

“It’s not Fundora’s height that I’m worried about. I’ve just been working with the best southpaws possible to get the angles right. I’ve worked hard to be prepared for anything.

“I’m a different type of animal in the ring. I’m not a typical fighter. I’m ready to show that Saturday night. I just feel like I’m the better fighter overall. It’s nothing against him, I just believe that I’m better.”

TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

“This is going to be another terrific night of boxing on FOX and FOX Deportes from our bubble at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. We have the two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter with his fan friendly style going up against the unbeaten Sebastian Formella in an IBF title eliminator.

“Sebastian and his team were very happy to get the call so he can prove himself against one of the best in the world. We know what Shawn is coming into the ring with after that terrific ‘Fight of the Year’ in September against Errol Spence, Jr., where Shawn’s stock actually went up that night. It’s going to be great to have Shawn back in the ring in a big fight.

“We also have the sensational rising prospect Joey Spencer on the broadcast, plus a fight I’ve really been looking forward to in this showdown between Sebastian Fundora and Nathaniel Gallimore. Nate has been asking us for months for a fight like this because he wants to get back in the ring and prove himself again. Fundora brings the action again and again and it should combine for something great.”

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ABOUT PORTER VS. FORMELLA
Porter vs. Formella will see two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter face unbeaten German contender Sebastian Formella in a 12-round welterweight title eliminator headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, Saturday, August 22 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

FOX PBC Fight Night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features rising undefeated contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno” Fundora going up against hard-hitting
Nathaniel Gallimore in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. Sensational rising prospect Joey Spencer will also compete on the broadcast in a six-round middleweight special attraction against Shawn West. All programming can be live streamed in English and Spanish on the new FOX Sports app. FOX Deportes offers delayed coverage of all FOX and FS1 programming beginning at 10:00 PM ET.

The Porter vs. Formella event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Microsoft Theater, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information:
Visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

LOS ANGELES (August 19, 2020) – Two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter sees limited adverse effects from his pandemic induced layoff, and actually believes the time in quarantine was an advantage, as he prepares to take on German contender Sebastian Formella in a welterweight title eliminator headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, August 22 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

“I think the quarantine helped me,” said Porter. “When this all began, I just took some time, and I believe that it refreshed and rejuvenated me. It gave me the opportunity to make some adjustments and we’ve all grown from it. Once I knew that we were coming back to boxing, I wanted to take on the responsibility of bringing big-time boxing back. I’m one of the first big names to come back and I’m proud to represent my team and my family by getting back in the ring sooner than later.”

Porter, who resides in Las Vegas, initially used the time off from the pandemic to spend time with his wife and two children, but he was back in the gym by April with his father and trainer Ken Porter. Although the pandemic led to safety concerns in the early weeks, the father and son duo sparred each other to limit outside interaction, they soon were back into the rhythm of their normal training.

“I took all of March off,” said Porter. “When the pandemic first hit, it was a little scary just going anywhere outside of the house. Ever since April though, we’ve been back at it. My dad lives right around the corner from me so we started off training in his back yard. Then we went back to the gym in May and I actually sparred with my dad for a few weeks, because we wanted to be as safe as possible. We just weren’t sure who else was safe to have around. But then in June we started bringing in other sparring partners. That was probably the aspect of training camp that was most affected by the pandemic.

“I have a wife and two kids now, so initially when the pandemic hit, I was just enjoying being at home with my family. But once my dad told me I had to get back moving, we got back to it. That’s just our relationship. My dad knows he can always count on me to do what’s necessary and best for my career. We played it safe, but no excuses to be made. It might be a pandemic, but my dad got me back to work safely.”

Porter will return to the ring for the first time since narrowly dropping a welterweight unification match against Errol Spence, Jr. last September, in a showdown that turned out to be one of 2019’s most action packed and dramatic fights. The 32-year-old believes that slight adjustments will help him get back to a title opportunity and beyond.

“By fighting an eliminator on Saturday, we believe we can be back in a world title fight the next time we’re in the ring,” said Porter. “For me, any improvement is about more than just hard work. Everyone knows that I work hard. Now it’s about knowing what to do and when to do it. I can’t have mental lapses and I just have to make sure that I’m staying composed inside the ring. I also have to make sure that I’m always listening to my corner and that I have the right state of mind when I’m in the ring.”

While Porter has faced a litany of the best welterweights of this generation, Saturday’s showdown puts him up against a fairly unknown entity in the German Formella, at least among U.S. observers. However, Porter’s affable personality outside of the ring has helped him gather the intel needed for this matchup.

“The good thing about being Shawn Porter, is that people like me,” said Porter. “My connections have helped me find out information on Formella, including when he was coming to the U.S. It’s awesome to have people so willing to help me out. One person that I’ve been talking with has seen Formella train a number of times and their insight has been very helpful. I’ve also gotten seven or eight tapes of his fights. We’re looking to throw some wrenches into what we think his game plan will be and do what we need to in order to get the win.”

With just days remaining before stepping into the ring and beginning his quest toward becoming a three-time champion, Porter has a clear statement for the rest of the division.

“The statement is that I’m still here,” said Porter. “I’ve had three losses, but I haven’t gone anywhere. I’m still here fighting at an elite level and that’s what they’re going to see in this fight.”

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ABOUT PORTER VS. FORMELLA
Porter vs. Formella will see two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter face unbeaten German contender Sebastian Formella in a 12-round welterweight title eliminator headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, Saturday, August 22 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

FOX PBC Fight Night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features rising undefeated contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno” Fundora going up against hard-hitting
Nathaniel Gallimore in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. Sensational rising prospect Joey Spencer will also compete on the broadcast in a six-round middleweight special attraction against Shawn West. All programming can be live streamed in English and Spanish on the new FOX Sports app. FOX Deportes offers delayed coverage of all FOX and FS1 programming beginning at 10:00 PM ET.

The Porter vs. Formella event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Microsoft Theater, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information:
Visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

LOS ANGELES (August 19, 2020) – German contender Sebastian Formella relishes the opportunity he has in front of him in his U.S. debut as he prepares to face two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter in a welterweight title eliminator headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, August 22 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

“I have always said that I want to compete with the best,” said Formella. “Now I have the chance. Even though I’m coming from Germany and the U.S. fans aren’t as familiar with me, I’m ready to do whatever it takes to win. I can’t wait to test myself against a welterweight superstar like Shawn Porter.”

For the 33-year-old Formella, challenges are nothing new. He debuted as a pro in 2014, already 26 years old, but quickly showed his mettle, winning a German middleweight title in just his sixth pro fight. After moving down into the welterweight division full time in 2018, he has reeled off five straight wins against opponents with a combined record of 95-8-1.

“Everyone who knows me, knows that I will face any opponent,” said Formella. “When my promoter called and offered me the fight, I immediately said yes – without knowing the details. I know what I can do and I’m willing to prove it against whoever is available. I am not a guy who gives up or avoids anything.”

Heading into this fight, Formella has been on a training camp world tour, participating in training camp in his native Germany, before two weeks of sparring in Istanbul. Eventually he arrived in the U.S., where he sparred with top welterweight Yordenis Ugas, who faced Porter in dropping a close title fight last March on FOX.

“One of the reasons this opportunity came at the right time is because I had been in training in Germany since June,” said Formella. “Since then, we had two weeks of sparring in Istanbul. We had rough conditions there and that made it all the better for training so I feel prepared for whatever is going to happen in the ring.

“One of the sparring partners in Istanbul was my promotional stablemate Volkan Gökcek. It was optimal work day in and day out. Once we got to the U.S., I sparred with Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas and I know that experience can only help me on fight night.”

Formella will have a tall task on fight night against the two-time 147-pound titlist Porter, who’s career resume is littered with big name opponents such as Errol Spence, Jr., Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, amongst many others. Porter is defined by his rough and tumble, all-action style that ensures nobody is in for any easy night against him.

“Porter makes a lot of pressure, he can bridge the distance very well with his fast movements and he is very strong on the inside,” said Formella. “You always have to be careful and concentrated. You must not let him drag you into his fighting style. We’ve analyzed Porter, and we know it’s going to be tough. But it’s boxing and the nice thing about our sport is that a lot of things can happen that you don’t expect. We have a tactic set up and I’m going to throw everything at him to get the win.”

In his corner, his promoter Erol Ceylan has drawn a direct line between Formella’s underdog status against Porter and Formella’s similar status when he triumphed over Thulani Mbenge, who had come into that fight off of victories over Miguel Vazquez and Diego Chaves.

“Nobody believed in Sebastian when he fought for the IBO title against Mbenge and he surprised everyone,” said Ceylan. “Sebastian is someone who grows with the strength of his opponents. You should not underestimate him and the strength of his will to win.”

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ABOUT PORTER VS. FORMELLA
Porter vs. Formella will see two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter face unbeaten German contender Sebastian Formella in a 12-round welterweight title eliminator headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, Saturday, August 22 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

FOX PBC Fight Night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features rising undefeated contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno” Fundora going up against hard-hitting Nathaniel Gallimore in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. Sensational rising prospect Joey Spencer will also compete on the broadcast in a six-round middleweight special attraction against Shawn West. All programming can be live streamed in English and Spanish on the new FOX Sports app. FOX Deportes offers delayed coverage of all FOX and FS1 programming beginning at 10:00 PM ET.

The Porter vs. Formella event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Shawn Porter Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Microsoft Theater, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information:
Visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Los Angeles, 19th of August– Sebastian Formella is not your everyday boxer. Especially not if you consider the fact that the 33-year old from Hamburg, Germany carries world championship gold around his waist. When Formella is not busy working in the gym, he is controlling container bridges at the port of Hamburg. In other words: apart from being a professional boxer he still has a daytime job that pays his bills. Even when he won the IBO World Title in 2019 he got back to work less than 48 hours later.

It doesn‘t get more humbling than that, but it’s something that might give him an edge over a lot of his opponents. Formella knows that without hard work and dedication everything means nothing in the end. In 2017 he found the perfect partner to put his laser focus to use, when he signed a contract with EC Boxing in Hamburg. Alongside Erol Ceylan „Hafen-Basti“ build himself up, selling out arenas with several thousand people in his hometown.

 Then, in July of 2019, he got a shot at then IBO Champion Tulani Mbenge from South Africa. The German homecrowd pushed Formella all the way to the end of this 12 round affair. A couple of minutes later legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. declared him the unanimous winner and therefore the new world champion. Without this victory Formella wouldn’t be where he is today. Without this a big fight on a big stage would never come to fruition.
 

 But now dreams have become reality. On August 22nd Formella will take on non-other than former two time world champion „Showtime“ Shawn Porter. It‘s by far the toughest challenge of his career, but the German is not visiting Los Angeles to lose: „I have great amounts of respect for Shawn Porter, who is a world-class fighter. But I’ll come prepared. Me and my team have studied him closely“, Formella explains.

In preparation Formella held training camps in both Istanbul and Las Vegas. At the gym of famous coach Ismael Salas he got around to spar former Porter-foe Yordenis Ugas. No stone was left unturned for the biggest fight in Formella’s boxing career.