Shawn Porter says Terence Crawford fight is more than a rumor

Shawn Porter insists that his talked-about fight against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford is more than a rumor and that it’s definitely going to happen.

Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) says the negotiations are still underway between his promotional team and Crawford’s, and he’s hopeful they can reach a deal. If not, it’ll go to a purse bid, and Porter likes that idea as well.

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) is in a position where he can’t walk away from the fight with Porter because the World Boxing Organization has ordered it.

So even if the negotiations aren’t going well for his promoters at Top Rank, they can’t abandon the fight with Porter to go in another direction.

This is arguably the most amped-up Porter has been about a fight in a long time, perhaps because he believes that his fighting style will be the kryptonite to get the better of Crawford.

We haven’t ever seen Crawford fight anyone really good during his career, and this would be the first time for that. It’ll also be the first time that Crawford will have fought a fighter with an inside game.

Crawford vs. Porter =  More than a rumor

“I love the rumors. I hear them after everybody else hears them,” said Shawn Porter to Behind The Gloves on his fight with Terence Crawford. “That is the rumor. It’s more than a rumor. That fight better happen.

“We have a purse bid coming soon. I do know that my promotional team and his promotional team are still trying to come to an agreement, so the fight will happen.

“I hear something like that too,” said Porter about Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn interested in making a bid if his fight with Crawford goes to a purse bid. “I hear the rumors too after they hit the airwaves.

“I’m really in the exact position I’ve always wanted to be in when I said I wanted to be a professional fighter. I wanted everybody talking about me. I wanted everyone to come to see me, and everyone is excited. Not just about Shawn Porter, but Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter.

“I’m exactly where I want to be in life. Everybody should be split,” said Porter on boxing fans who have different views on who will win the fight between him and Crawford.

“Enjoy the fight. Come out and watch. Buy it if you’re going to buy it. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but that’s one you don’t want to miss,” said Porter.

The worse thing that could happen is for the Crawford vs. Porter fight to get made but scheduled in early 2022 rather than this year.

There’s no question the fight will happen, though, because Crawford will be stripped of his WBO 147-lb title if he walks away from the Porter fight.

This is a mandatory defense for Crawford, meaning he’s got no choice but to take it unless he wants to vacate. Considering that Porter is the biggest name by far of Crawford’s 13-year professional career, it would be insane for him not to take the fight.

Porter predicting greatness on the night

“I stopped at the gas station, and somebody said, ‘When is your next fight?  I heard it’s Crawford.’  I said, ‘Yeah,’ and he said, ‘Damn, I love both of y’all.’ I said, ‘Chill out. Just make sure you don’t miss it. Enjoy the fight,'” said Porter.

“Nothing but greatness is going to happen on that night whenever that fight happens,” said Porter about his fight with Crawford.

“Hopefully, it happens before the end of this year, but I feel like I’ve been through it all, and I’ve had every experience that needs to be had.

“I really don’t think he [Crawford]  has anything that I haven’t seen before, but on the other side of it, I think I do.

“I think that’s where my success lies, but it’s up to me to prepare, and it’s up to me to go in there and do everything I’ve done up to this point.

“It was looking great in April, and then things started to happen. But I really do think it’s starting to get back to the greatness that we saw early on in this year.

“If you put in in the ring with Terence Crawford before this year ends, and it will end with a bang,” said Porter.

Let’s hope Porter can back up his words because we didn’t see greatness from him in two out of his last three fights against Errol Spence Jr., Yordenis Ugas, and Sebastian Formella.

Porter lost to Spence in 2019, and he should have lost to Ugas in their fight in March of that year. Yeah, Porter beat Formella, but big deal. He’s a fringe contender.