On the campus of Cleveland State University at the Wolfstein Center, Shawn Porter, from nearby Akron, Ohio, headlines the latest edition of “Friday Night Fights” on ESPN2, as he faces Russell Jordan for the NABO junior middleweight title. As has become the custom, Porter and his father have made their training camp in Hollywood, California at the Wild Card Boxing Club, where they work alongside the likes of Manny Pacquiao.
If you want to inquire about tickets, don’t ask the Porters.
"We learned about this fight a long time ago and I posted it up and texted everybody right away and said, ’Don’t come to me for tickets.’ So me and my dad stay out of that part of it and we’re coming to fight. We’re not coming home; we’re coming to a fight. So that’s where it is for us," said the 12-0 (10) Porter.
Their focus has been squarely on the fight and nothing else. Kenny, his father/trainer, told Maxboxing last Saturday afternoon, "To be honest with you, I’m not keeping in contact with no one. We separated ourselves from that situation totally. I haven’t had one phone call about tickets or anything like that because everyone knew that I wasn’t going to be involved in that, just focusing in on Shawn. But I have seen a lot of things on YouTube, ESPN commercials and things like that. So I know there’s definitely a buzz back home."
They left Southern California to head back east on Tuesday, where the father says his son will be on "lockdown" outside of some time spent with his ten-year old brother. While there is a certain amount of glamour in headlining a show in your hometown, it also comes with a laundry list of distractions and pressure.
"He was born and raised there, so we put on a lot of shows there and he was the main event on my shows, even though they were amateur shows for a lot of years," Porter’s father points out. "So he did that in front of crowds of 2,000 people. So he knows what it feels like to be the main event. But in this particular situation, because I’m aware of that, I’m doing everything I can to detach him from the crowds, the people. Actually, I’m making plans right now, the night of the fight, to have some things going on in his dressing room with this brother and a TV and movies, just relaxing, nothing to do with anything outside of that door. Just to keep him relaxed, detached from the actual fight. So when he walks out there, that’s when it gets started. But not before that."
This isn’t so much a homecoming but a business trip for Porter.
"Yeah, it’s a business trip until my hand is raised and I get the victory. After that it will be the Super Bowl Mardi Gras in Cleveland," said Porter, with a smile, who gained notoriety a few months ago by serving as a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao in the lead-up to his match with Miguel Cotto. And Porter’s most recent fight was televised on “ShoBox,” where he stopped Jamar Patterson in four rounds in mid-December. You get the sense that, from this point on, he will no longer be fighting in the dark. "It’s a little bit different because the coordination they bring to the television fights; you have to wait on them," explained Porter of the logistical differences. "You have to be prompt and on time for everything. So we’ve been able to adjust to it very well. We’ve been able to warm up and everything and we’ve been right on time for the television fights. It’s all fun for us."
In what was one of his final sparring days, Porter went four rounds with Pacquiao and a few more with Craig McEwan, whose tall upright stature mirrors his opponent. But it’s his rounds with the “Pac-Man” that leave an impression on him. "I tried to go tit-for-tat with him and I went ten rounds Monday, twelve rounds Wednesday, came back here and I felt great going those ten and twelve. But getting in there with Manny, trying to go tit-for-tat, it really pushes you. It was a joy, I’m glad I got to do it."
When asked if Pacquiao is the best boxer he’s moved around with, he answers, "Most definitely. I’ve sparred with Kelly Pavlik, Andre Dirrell; they’re great. But Manny is just on a whole ’nother level and he brings an excitement into the sparring that is bar none."
It was the opportunity to work on a consistent basis with world-class talent that brought he and his father out West.
"It’s experiences like this is why we come out here continuously for training camps and why, eventually, we’ll be out here, basically, living in the Wild Card, trying to get as much work as we possibly can," said Porter. His father mentioned that they will be back in California within a week or two of the fight and have already begun the process of looking at apartments and houses to stay on a permanent basis.
The father believes that his son can have the type of success that Pavlik, who hails from Youngstown, has had in becoming a draw in “The Buckeye State.”
"I really do believe he can. It’s gotta be done the right way. I’m not really sure that at this time of the year, when there’s a lot of snow there, it’s the time to go. But I expect us to come back some time soon. I do believe he can do that, though," he says. But can he have a hold on the people the way Pavlik has, training 2,500 miles away? One of the appeals of “The Ghost” to the local residents is that he has stuck around. The father doesn’t think that will be a major factor."I believe that people look at you and say, ’Y’know, what they’re doing is best for them in order to get their career where they need it to be,’ and when you’re out there in it and they can see it from the distance and you come back home, they anticipate being there and getting an opportunity to see you be a part of it," said Kenny.
Porter is promoted by Prize Fight Boxing, which is run by the brothers Brian and Russ Young. After showcasing Porter down south (in areas like Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi) where they are located for the majority of his early bouts, they believe the time is right to start building a fan base back home.
"We’re very pleased, we sold a ton of tickets, people in Cleveland have been very receptive about it, we’re going to have a strong crowd," said Brian Young. "This is a way for Shawn to reach back to his fans in the Northern Ohio area." The Wolstein Center will be configured for approximately 3,000 patrons. Unfortunately, like most of the country, they have been ravaged by the inclement weather. "It’s definitely affecting us," admitted Young, on Tuesday. "It’s snowing considerably up there and it’s snowing today, as a matter of fact. So I think that has hurt our ticket sales somewhat. But hopefully, sometime between now and Friday, the weather will break for us and give us a chance to have a real strong walk-up."
This much is clear; Young believes he has a gem on his hands.
"I think Shawn is doing extremely well. He’s been very impressive so far. He’s fighting for an NABO interim title at junior middleweight; he’s only 12-0. But we think Shawn is ready. It was a call we made, Russ and I, collectively. It just goes to show our deep faith is in Shawn’s ability and his work ethic."
As for Porter, he admits that the thoughts of performing back in his home region have monopolized his thoughts.
"I’m too excited to be nervous, to be honest with you," he states, smiling. "I don’t worry about the TV, that’s nothing to me. But to be performing in front of all my family and friends back home and everyone that hasn’t had a chance to see me coming up as an amateur, that’s the thrill I get coming back home to Cleveland."
LAKERS OR CAVS?
Akron just happens to be where LeBron James hails from. So I put Kenny Porter on the spot, Lakers or Cavs for this year’s Larry O’Brien Trophy?
"Hmmmm…oh my goodness, let me see," said Porter, looking to find a diplomatic way to answer my question. After some hemming and hawing, he said, "I’m leaning towards the Cavs; I gotta go with the Cavs but that’s where my heart is. There’s no doubt. I know it’s Cleveland and L.A. in the Finals, I know that. I absolutely know that."
TIX INFO
Tickets to this show can be purchased at the Wolstein Center box-office (where prices start at $25) and through any TicketMaster outlet or TicketMaster charge-by-phone. For more information call 216-687-9292.
FIGHT CAMP 360
Did anyone else enjoy the third installment of this series, which chronicles the “Super Six” on Showtime, as much as I did? I love the fact that they are able to air footage of the actual fights and, what I really like is, that the scenes look very organic, not staged or contrived like “24/7” on HBO.
The footage of Jermain Taylor’s brutal knockout at the hands of Arthur Abraham is chilling enough, but to see the reaction of his wife and mother really puts things into perspective. Whether you are a fan of a particular fighter or not, these individuals are putting their lives on the line and what they do as a profession has a profound effect on those around them. It was difficult not to feel for Taylor as you saw the reaction of those around him as he lay prone on the canvas and, later on, taken to the hospital for observation.
Another great shot was Abraham’s trainer telling his brother, in no uncertain terms, that he was the lead trainer and nobody else.
I understand that NFL Films is no longer involved in the production of “360” but I think that Showtime is doing just fine without them.
GERRY
I was at the Wild Card Boxing Club on Wednesday afternoon where I saw Gerry Penalosa, who was sporting dark glasses from the cuts he suffered from headbutts against Eric Morel. The overwhelming majority of people who saw that fight believed that Penalosa was the recipient of a dubious decision.
To see him, said it all. He was watching some sparring while on the table nearest the ring. It’s clear that while he loves this game, he hates what the business and political aspect of it has done to him. I think it’s safe to say that right now, he has a love-hate relationship with the sport. Could you blame him for being bitter? His trainer, Freddie Roach, told me he has advised him to retire. Which in light of what took place this past weekend, must be an even tougher choice for Penalosa to make.
As he walked out of the gym, he waved good-bye to everyone that acknowledged him. Who knows if we’ll ever see him again? But till the very end, he was a consummate professional and a class act.
SNOWY FLURRIES
Hey, how ’bout a rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz? Wasn’t it ESPN.com’s “Fight of the Year”?...The Mosley-Mayweather press tour has been officially announced and will take place from March 2nd to the 4th and will land in New York, D.C. and Los Angeles...The highly-anticipated heavyweight tilt between Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek will be announced officially on Friday at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. This HBO bout will take place on April 24th...Anyone really enjoying the new season of “Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp” with Bobby Brown, “K-Fed” and Nicole Eggert? Seriously, this show actually has a lot of redeeming qualities to it...Seriously, isn’t it time to forgive (if not forget) when it comes to Mark McGwire?...I really don’t fully comprehend “Lost” but I’m still enjoying its last season...This week’s edition of “The Main Event” features Larry Merchant (We finally got him!) and the always classy Kathy Duva of Main Events...Any questions or comments can be sent to k9kim@yahoo.com...twitter.com/stevemaxboxing...And you can catch us on Facebook at Facebook.com/MaxBoxing...
Source: secondsout.com
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