Errol Spence vs. Shawn Porter - 28 September 2019

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Kell Brook breaks down his former opponents and explains who will win
https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/1 ... o-will-win

Kell Brook has had world championship fights against Errol Spence Jr and Shawn Porter, who meet tonight, and believes: "It should be me up there".

"It should be me up there," Brook said about tonight's world welterweight title unification fight between IBF champion Spence Jr and WBC champion Porter, live on Sky Sports Action at 2am. "I shouldn't have lost my world title. Nobody has ever pushed Errol like I did, for the first six or seven rounds, until me eye went. It took its toll. With a long camp and prepared fully, I've got his number."

What are Shawn Porter's advantages?

Kell Brook said: "He's like a bull in a china shop. He gets inside however he can.

"He's rough. You can feel that, in his heart, he believes he can win. It is hard to stop a man who believes.

"He keeps pushing forward, chucking shots to body and head. He tries to rough you up.

"He tries to drag you into the trenches, and drown you.

"He's not a bad boxer, look at his resume. He's boxed Oleksandr Usyk and Danny Jacobs in the amateurs so he's here for a reason."

What are Errol Spence Jr's advantages?

Kell Brook said: "Spence is more relaxed, more calculated. But when it gets tough he can dog it out, he can fight. He's the better fighter.

"He's an awkward southpaw who uses his range well. He puts his shots together well. He thinks like a champion.

"Spence Jr will stand with him at times, and box with him at times."

How will Spence Jr vs Porter play out?

Kell Brook said: "It will get rough and tough. Porter will put the early pressure on, but Spence Jr will stand with him and then take over. If Spence Jr gets a window to hurt Porter, he will jump on him and try to hurt him.

"Spence Jr on points but I wouldn't be surprised by a stoppage."

Andy Clarke's verdict

This a high-quality unification. We saw Spence Jr at Bramall Lane against Brook and he was brilliant, taking the title when a battered and bruised Brook took a knee and bowed out in round 11. It was a win that really announced him as a major force and ever since he's been looking to unify.

And when Terence Crawford moved up to welterweight and won the WBO title that's been the fight that he's wanted. But the promotional great divide between Al Haymon and Bob Arum is unbridgeable currently so after making routine defences against Lamont Peterson and Winston Ocampos, Spence Jr accepted a challenge from four-weight world champion Mikey Garcia who decided he wanted to step up 12lb from lightweight to welterweight.

It was intriguing and plenty gave Garcia a chance but, at the AT&T in Texas, Spence Jr won every round on all three cards. He just beat Garcia up, hardly taking a meaningful shot in reply. It was brutal.

Porter won the IBF title in 2013 and has been at world title level since, suffering just two defeats; on points against Brook in Carson in 2014 to lose his IBF title and on points against Keith Thurman in 2016 when challenging for the WBA title. The defeat vs Brook was conclusive, despite the majority decision verdict, but the fight with Thurman was very close, one that could have gone either way.

Porter became a two-time welterweight world champion last September when he won the vacant WBC belt (Thurman had had to vacate) vs Danny Garcia. One again it was very close but Porter got the decision this time. He's defended once since, in March (the week before Spence Jr vs Garcia), when he was pretty fortunate to get the decision over 12 against Yordenis Ugas.

[Delta Jay]

Very sure of Spence in this. Interested to see the tactics from him though. He uses his reach and dictates the range so well and Porter is a lot shorter, but the way Shawn just flies forward so violently male me think it won’t be that easy.

I think we could see lots of body work early on from both fighters.

[brilo33]

Think Spence will stop porter tonight.if he is in the mood he can hurt porter. I think porter has seen his best days. don't think he was great I'm his last fight against ugas lucky to win I thought. Spence if he is on the form when he beat brook it will be a ko win.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[KiwiRider]

Very sure of Spence in this. Interested to see the tactics from him though. He uses his reach and dictates the range so well and Porter is a lot shorter, but the way Shawn just flies forward so violently male me think it won’t be that easy.

I think we could see lots of body work early on from both fighters.

Shawn Porter has a way of getting on the inside, and it ain't pretty. Spence has been training for that, it will be interesting to see how he deals with it.
My greatest fear is cuts. I really hope we don't get a cut based stoppage.

[Twinkle Toes]

I believe Spence is right up there as one of the very best. I think he will show it in this one.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Premier Boxing Champions presents: Spence Jr. vs. Porter | Welterweight Unification
Live from the Staples Center in Los Angoles, California on September 28, 2019
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PBC on Youtube: 4:15pm ET | 1:15pm PT (Non-televised Prelims)
Live on FS1: 7:30pm ET | 4:30pm PT
Live on FOX PPV: 9pm ET | 6pm PT
Sky Sports: 2am (UK time)
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Full Card

Prelims on FS1

4 Rounds Middleweight Contest
Joey Spencer vs. Travis Gambardella

10 Round Welterweight Contest
Robert Guerrero vs. Gerald Thomas

FOX PPV Card

10 Round Welterweight Contest
Josesito Lopez vs. John Molina Jr.

Vacant WBA Super Lightweight Championsip
Mario Barrios vs. Batyr Akhmedov

WBC Super Middleweight Championship
Anthony Dirrell vs. David Benavidez

Unified IBF & WBC Welterweight Championship
Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter
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[Cyclops]

What time will this be UK time? I've just got in from a night out and opened a beer but I'm not doing 5 in the morning.

[Elpidiphor]

Spence will beat Porter down and TKO him in late rounds.

[Ruthless-RKO]

What time will this be UK time? I've just got in from a night out and opened a beer but I'm not doing 5 in the morning.

Probably will be. Starts at 2am. It’s a 4 fight card.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[HeinrichB]

Probably will be. Starts at 2am. It’s a 4 fight card.

Prefight coverage has already started.
And now the first fight will start. Spencer and Gambardella are in the ring.

[HeinrichB]

Spencer vs. Gambardella:
TKO3-Win for the PBC-Prospect of the year 2018.

[Cholo_cws]

Molina probably should have been counted out whilst he was rising. Nice one ref. Let the fight continue. Doubt Molina can last. He looks shot.

[Jedz910]

Barrios is maintaining the distance beautifully. Akhmedov can't get on the inside. Barrios looks really good so far. 3 rounds down.

[Delta Jay]

Very sure of Spence in this. Interested to see the tactics from him though. He uses his reach and dictates the range so well and Porter is a lot shorter, but the way Shawn just flies forward so violently male me think it won’t be that easy.

I think we could see lots of body work early on from both fighters.

Shawn Porter has a way of getting on the inside, and it ain't pretty. Spence has been training for that, it will be interesting to see how he deals with it.
My greatest fear is cuts. I really hope we don't get a cut based stoppage.

A long jab on the back foot just won’t be enough to keep Porter off. Porter does seem to cut everyone! Really excited now. Glad I woke up in time.

[Ruthless-RKO]

ESPN

Barrios gets decision against Akhmedov

Junior welterweight Mario Barrios escaped with a dubious unanimous decision over Batyr Akhmedov to win a vacant secondary world title in a fight in which Barrios took enormous punishment.

Even after scoring two knockdowns, including one in the final seconds, Barrios still did not seem to win and the crowd heavily booed the decision. The judges gave it to him, 116-111, 115-111 and 114-112, ESPN had Akhmedov winning 114-112.

The much taller Barrios used his longer reach and jab to keep Akhmedov at bay in the early rounds.Akhmedov began to close the distance and get inside in the third round and the action picked up in the fourth round. That is when Barrios landed a short left hook that forced Akhmedov to touch both of his gloves to the mat for a knockdown.

Akhmedov picked up the pace in the fifth and after, working his way inside and landing many right hooks and straight left hands as Barrios showed a solid chin. He applied tremendous pressure on Barrios (25-0, 16 KOs), 24, of San Antonio, who was backing up consistently.

In the 10th round, Akhmedov staggered a fading Barrios with a left hand. His face was marked up and Akhmedov continued to take it to him. He landed left hands nearly at will, including one that sent Barrios reeling in the 12th round. But Barrios recovered and made things dramatic by dropping Akhmedov with 10 seconds left. The fight ended before he could land another meaningful punch.

Akhmedov (7-1, 6 KOs), 28, a southpaw, dominated the CompuBox statistics, landing 238 of 924 punches (26 percent) while Barrios landed 135 of 772 (18 percent).

[Ruthless-RKO]

No one in the UK awake for this?

[Delta Jay]

No one in the UK awake for this?

Thought the cards were about right, did you?

A real gruelling fight. Porter insanely tough. Most people would be asleep for 5 minutes after that kind of shot in the 11th.

I was nearly right about lots of body work early.

[Ruthless-RKO]

No one in the UK awake for this?

Thought the cards were about right, did you?

A real gruelling fight. Porter insanely tough. Most people would be asleep for 5 minutes after that kind of shot in the 11th.

I was nearly right about lots of body work early.

Tough fight to score.. I had 115-112 Spence.

Even without the KD, Spence would have won.

Spence I feel did slow down later in the fight, but did still did enough to win rounds.

[Delta Jay]

Thought the cards were about right, did you?

A real gruelling fight. Porter insanely tough. Most people would be asleep for 5 minutes after that kind of shot in the 11th.

I was nearly right about lots of body work early.

Tough fight to score.. I had 115-112 Spence.

Even without the KD, Spence would have won.

Spence I feel did slow down later in the fight, but did still did enough to win rounds.

Agree with all that. Think Spence widens the gap in a rematch but I’d actually rather that before the Crawford fight.

[Bigdogsnose]

Porters a proper dog. Not gonna say robbery but i thought he actually was more composed. Felt spence needed the knockdown, he never looked comfortable all night, porters feet were much quicker, but hes hard to score as he smothers his own work a bit. Good fight.

Looks like manny next. Could actually be a good fight.

[Ruthless-RKO]