When it was announced that “Showtime” Shawn Porter (24-0-1,
15 KOs) was to take on crafty veteran Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 Kos), my
initial reaction was one of concern for the young champion out of Akron,
Ohio. Paulie’s been in the ring with
some of the best fighters in the world including the likes of Miguel Cotto,
Ricky Hatton and most recently Adrien Broner.
For the most part, he held his own, only to succumb to the better
fighter.
What made Malignaggi such a formidable opponent and test for
the young Porter, is his intelligence in the ring. He’s a savvy vet whose mental prowess in the
ring has overcome a lack of punching power.
Paulie’s overachieved in the fight game with pure intellect and
will. He was supposed to give Porter fits….
Fortunately for fight fans across the globe, the
welterweight division has another star on its hands.
Shawn Porter has flown under the radar so far in his young
career. His defeat of Devon Alexander on
the Judah-Malignaggi card won the northeastern Ohio native his first title and
tentatively opened the eyes of the boxing world.
What makes Porter so intriguing is his energy in the
ring. If I were to compare his fighting
style to another fighter, I’d say Shawn is a mix between a young Mike Tyson
with a splash of Joe Frazier… all wrapped up in a welterweight’s body.
Let’s not get confused… he hasn’t reached either of the
aforementioned fighter’s level of dominance in the ring, but the similarities
are there.
In the Malignaggi fight, he did an incredible job of mixing
up his approach. He used his jab to get
inside and unleashed lethal combinations in close quarters. His strategy of keeping his distance and then
quickly leaping in with his left hook kept Paulie confused and unable to defend
himself.
It took four rounds for Porter to obliterate Paulie
Malignaggi and leave him lying half-way on a press table outside the
ropes. Paulie’s been stopped before… but
never like that.
The real question is what happens this Saturday night at the
Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA against the undefeated Kell Brook (32-0, 22 KOs)?
The unification bout with Kell Brook is intriguing, but I
see it as just another stepping stone for Porter. Brook presents a game right hand, but when I
break down both styles, Porter will be too quick to the punch for Kell.
Coming into the fight with Paulie, I questioned his
power. When you have a boxer who fights
with an aggressive/brawling style like Shawn Porter, you leave yourself wide
open to be countered. It’s a style where
punching power is a must… and while I still question how much power Shawn
possesses, his fourth round knockout of Paulie Malignaggi proved to me that he
has enough to be successful.
Will he become elite?
Only time will tell.
A clash with Keith Thurman would be great theater… A bout
with Adrien Broner in the “Battle of Ohio” would be must-see-tv, but at the
moment, Broner seems attached to the jr. welterweight division..
Regardless, Shawn Porter must first take care
of the business at hand. One thing is
for certain… the kid is exciting and he can fight.
Follow me on
Twitter: @RLMalpica
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