Kenny Porter Backs Errol to the Wall!
On September 28, WBC world welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter will face Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr in a highly anticipated unification match. The bout will be staged at the Staples Center located in Los Angeles, California.
The Staples Center is a breeding ground for memorable action-packed fights. Porter v Spence is expected to join the ranks of the many classic wars that have preceded them.
The stylistic match-up alone is enough to all but guarantee a ferocious barn-burner. However, there is a personal aspect in this scenario that appears to be coloring a great deal of the fighters interplay with one another. Now, it appears this dynamic is spreading to other members of the team.
THE TRUTH DUCKING AND HIDING?
While he is not rude or menacing, Shawn’s father and trainer, Kenny Porter, definitely is a great deal more gruff and point-blank than his twice-world champion son.
Sure, the elder Porter jokes and the like when appropriate. However, his generic demeanor is geared around “getting to the point.”
In numerous interviews, Spence has alluded to Kenny never having approached him displaying any manner of overtly aggressive behavior.
However, in a recent Q&A session, Kenny regaled reporters with a story that implied he and Shawn hemmed the Truth up in a restaurant in his own backyard.
Apparently, the Porters had traveled to Dallas in order to rendezvous with Spence at a scheduled photo shoot of his. Unfortunately for them, Kenny reported that the Truth was a no call, no show.
Believing themselves out of luck, they resigned themselves to grabbing a bite to eat before sliding back out of town. Thanks to a bit of serendipity, the Porters stumbled across Spence and his company at the eatery. It was there that the senior Porter claims the Truth fell church mouse quiet.
“We went to dinner with Errol in Dallas and he had no words for us! […] Well he was supposed to be at an autograph signing so we flew all the way to Dallas and he didn’t show up.
“It just so happened before we left, we decided to go out to dinner. Pappadeaux’s, and guess who walked in?
“So we went over to his table and said ‘hello’ to him. Different energy as he like to say […] we just kind of backed his ass up against the wall and wanted to say, ‘hey man, why didn’t you show up in your town for your own autograph signing?”
A BATTLE OF WITS
It’s hard to believe that under such circumstances that Spence did actually fall silent as a cemetery after hours and behave sheepishly. Nevertheless as they say, that’s how the story goes.
As September 28 crawls closer and closer, the verbal barbs and underlining snarky comments are likely to escalate. Such as when caught talking about the fighter’s popularity with the fans, Spence made the now infamous quip that Porter “couldn’t sell out a family dinner.”
Despite Shawn already indicating that he doesn’t care for the extra trash talk, Kenny is certain that his son will prevail in any contest of mental or verbal wit that may arise.
“In reality, he had someone who fed him the line about the family dinner, he’s not quick witted like that.
“He don’t come off with that kind of stuff, he can’t come off with that kind of stuff. He won’t be able to compete with Shawn on that level when it comes time to these microphones.
“But the fight is going to be an exciting fight. It’s not going to be an easy fight. It’s going to be a life and death situation, we’re prepared for that.”
3kingsboxing will continue to report on this combustible situation.
By: Bakari Simpson
