Capitalize on Porter’s Leaky Defense
Photo by Tim Shaffer/Reuters
Shawn Porter’s punches reel in quick shoeshine fashion. His head, however, does not.
He fights with his hands down and head bolt upright. In his very last fight with Erick Bone, “Showtime” was continually countered with a left hook after laying flurries into his opponent. That’s not something that should be happening to a fighter of Porter’s talent against a late-replacement like Bone.
Broner‘s defense isn’t all that much better despite showing off a shoulder roll stance. While Broner should have dropped the shoulder roll charade a long time ago he is excellent at utilizing the most effective counter-punch from the shoulder roll position: the uppercut.
When Broner has a lapse in movement this weekend (which he will), Porter will jump on him. But when he does, look for Broner to implement the shoulder roll and stuff his left elbow into his opponent’s face to gauge distance and let those right uppercuts fly. The right hand can always reach where the left elbow is. Floyd Mayweather has made a career out of this and it was a part of what Broner used to batter WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco in 2012 and he even managed to sneak in a few amidst his drubbing at the hands of Maidana.
Porter was clipped and staggered by this very same punch in Round 7 of his fight with Kell Brook. Broner can do the same.
Still, Brook did everything right in his majority decision win over Porter, firing off his potent jab and tying up the brutish Porter when the smaller man was in punching distance. All of this along with a significant size advantage and Brook still barely beat Porter.
That’s because the flocking overflow of punches “Showtime” applies will always be the great equalizer in this sport.
Maybe Broner can present him problems. Maybe not.
