Shawn Porter defends dad’s decision to stop the fight
Two-time welterweight champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter (31-4-1, 17ko) shocked the entire boxing community by announcing his retirement. His decision came following a tenth-round stoppage against WBO champion Terence “Bud” Crawford on November 20. Furthermore, he knows that fans may not understand his father’s explanation for stopping the fight.
THE UNEXPECTED STOPPAGE
The fight itself lived up to all expectations, Showtime gave all he had, and Crawford showed why he holds the #3 spot on the 3kingsboxing Top 10 Fighters list. Yet, trainer/father Kenny Porter abruptly stopped the fight, and his explanation for the stoppage is what has been dominating the conversation on social media.
Shawn Porter was knocked down twice in the tenth round. Moreover, fans could see how upset he was about the second knockdown from his banging on the canvas. He was not on wobbly legs, severely hurt, or stumbling across the ring. In the eyes of many, Porter looked more than ready to continue. Then, out of nowhere, Kenny Porter jumped in to stop the fight.
WHY DID KENNY PORTER STOP THE FIGHT?
During the in-ring post-fight interview, the elder Porter gave a reason for stopping the fight that raised the eyebrows of almost the entire boxing community.
“Honestly, his preparation, he didn’t prepare like I wanted him to prepare. So that just makes me say, you know what, I don’t want him in that situation.”
The thing is, this was not the first time Showtime has gone down before. In both fights, against four-division champion Adrien Broner and unified champion Errol Spence, he was knocked down in the twelfth round and got back up to give even more.
According to Kenny in the post-fight interview speaking to the press, he saw a difference this time. It wasn’t the same Shawn Porter.
“It was a surprise for me that he went down. And I never seen him go like that, and then what happened after that? He got hurt again, and I saw him at a deficit.”
THE PORTER’S ARE AT PEACE WITH EVERYTHING
As perplexing as this all sounds, the one person that understands Kenny Porter’s explanation is his son, Shawn Porter. The bond they share goes far beyond what words can describe. During an interview with Fighthype, the younger Porter is okay if people don’t understand his father’s reasons. He gives his father a pass.
“My father did not allow this sport to take advantage of me, and it’s really hard. A lot of fighters can’t say that. I am one of the fortunate ones to have a dad who’s my manager, who’s my trainer, who just has that sense to know what to do and when to do it.”
“Anybody, agree to disagree with what he said last night in the ring….I give my dad a 100% pass because I understand my dad. Even in moments where y’all may not understand him, or you hear what he says, but you may not agree with what he says. I know how to weave through what he says and find his points. So, you can’t expect everyone to do that, especially when they don’t know my dad….I have a pretty good feeling my dad is completely at peace with everything. I am as well.”
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By: Garrisson Bland
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