Photo by Ismael Gallardo/RBRBoxing
Junior Welterweight contender Adrien Broner (30-1-0, 22 KOs) and Welterweight contender Shawn Porter (25-1-1, 16 KOs) couldn’t be any different from each other.
From fight style, personality, to out-of-ring antics, these two are polar opposites. Really the only two things they truly have in common are they’re both from Ohio and they both are represented by Al Haymon.
Put those two together and you get “The Battle for Ohio,” in Las Vegas-yes, but the title certainly helps boost interest to a fight that should be able to create enough buzz from the talent standing in the ring.
The fight, which will be at a 144 pound catch weight, will be the main event for Premier Boxing Champions‘ Saturday, June 20 card live on NBC, primetime at 8:30 pm, EST.
On paper Broner vs. Porter is arguably the best product that PBC has brought us, it matches two very highly ranked contenders in two very highly regarded divisions–it’s truly a 50-50 fight.
Both men have been on the comeback trail since taking their first losses, Broner to Marcos Maidana back in December 2013, and Porter to Kell Brook in August 2014.
Neither men has faced a top-tier opponent since losing, and you can be sure that both recognize how important a win on Saturday night is to their careers.
Porter spoke to EsNEWS about a potential matchup with pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather if he is to defeat Broner this weekend.
Broner on the other hand has a different plan, although we can’t expect to see a Mayweather vs. Broner showdown anytime soon due to their close personal relationship, a win over Porter would certainly put the loud-talking ex-title holder back on the path of heir to “Big Bro’s” throne.
Broner also spoke to EsNEWS about his future in boxing.
Broner’s calm and collective appearance on the video is far from what you can expect of him in the days leading up to this fight, while Porter’s “nice guy” persona is spot-on to his everyday attitude.
Harsh trash talk, gold teeth and an occasional in-ring hump session is part of what Broner is, we’ll get all the humility and politeness from the Porter side.
Unless of course Broner is able to get under the skin of Porter, which he might have already done by forcing the fight to be at a catch weight under Porter’s usual 147 limit, a limit Porter has had trouble making in the past.
Porter’s father and trainer Kenny Porter said of the catch weight:
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]They’re trying to bring us down to try to hurt us and they’ve asked for a second day weigh-in[/otw_shortcode_quote]
What this means is Porter’s not allowed to rehydrate to a weight higher than 155 pounds the day of the fight, a major factor for a fighter like Porter who likes to come in the bigger man so he can pressure and bully his opposition.
For those asking, my weight is good. On pace to hit 144 on Friday and even able to eat my meals. Feeling GREAT. pic.twitter.com/PKIuZj1hDT
— ShowtimeShawn Porter (@ShowtimeShawnP) June 15, 2015
Since his loss to Maidana, Broner has taken a different approach to the way he wins and has gone from aggressive offensive fighter, to that of a careful, more defensive-minded fighter.
In an interview back in March 2015, Broner made it clear how he felt about putting his neck on the line:
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]The last time I went in the ring and fought with my heart I lost…The crowd might boo me but at the end of the day, going out there to fight for them doesn’t pay my bills[/otw_shortcode_quote]
Pretty straight-forward words from a man who knocked out six opponents in a row between June 2011 until February 2013. His last three victories have all come by decision to very beatable fighters.
The difference in fight styles makes for the classic boxer vs. brawler matchup, the defense and slickness of Broner vs. the straight forward wrecking-ball style of Porter.
HARD WORK!!!!! EASY MONEY!!!!!! #Aboutbillions #June20th #ABonNBC #Warready https://t.co/geGudWPqwO
— Adrien Broner (@AdrienBroner) June 13, 2015
An impressive victory for Shawn Porter on Saturday certainly puts him on the short list of possible opponents for Floyd Mayweather’s September 12 date.
We’ve seen the story before, Marcos Maidana destroys “Lil’ Bro” and “Big Bro” comes to the rescue, who’s to say if Porter embarrasses Broner on national TV he won’t shoot to the front of the line for a Mayweather fight?
While Amir Khan might currently stand at the top of that list, his recent victory over Chris Algieri was not an impressive one, and he set himself up to be out-shined.
Photo by Ismael Gallardo/RBRBoxing
Broner very well may be gradually making his way back up to Welterweight by fighting four pounds above what he’s fought at his last three fights.
If Mayweather does retire after his fight in September, and Manny Pacquiao shortly afterwards, that leaves a large hole in the hottest division in boxing.
One that could be filled by Broner-“AB”-“About Billions,” with a win over Porter and potential future matchups with names like Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman as stepping stones, the path to becoming boxing’s next big money pay-per-view attraction is right in front of him.
Check out the Adrien Broner vs. Shawn Porter press conference brought to you by Fight Hub TV:
Who do you think will win the “Battle for Ohio,” Adrien Broner or Shawn Porter? Please feel free to discuss in our comments section provided below.
