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It’s on: Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter make weight

Photo by Ryan Hafey / PBC
Fighters Network
27
Sep

No scale fails for the principal combatants in Los Angeles on Friday, as Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter did their first job, in making weight, and now we count down to fight night.

The Texan Spence and the Ohio native and Las Vegas resident Porter both showed teeth as they smiled and appeared to appreciate the vibe at the weigh-in.

Anyone expecting the trainers Kenny Porter and Derrick James to get into it, continuing their war of words and escalating – nope, there was some glaring and staring but that was it. Promoter Tom Brown looked on, ready to break up a scrum.



Porter, who holds the WBC’s 147-pound strap, strode to the scale first. No worries on his visage; he looked confident that there’d be no repeat of his difficulty in his most recent go. Indeed Porter was 147 on the dot. Then Spence, who keeps the IBF strap on his shelf, was also 147 on the dot.

Next, a staredown…Porter kept a grin affixed, while “The Truth” went into warrior mode, looking to stare a dagger through the underdog.

Spence spoke to Heidi Androl of FOX and flashed an easy grin. No tight or vicious game face going on. He said yes, he expected that there would be some chatter, some nasty talk, back and forth. “This is the fight game…We both want this bad; emotions flared up,” he told Androl. Spence chuckled as he told the interrogator that, yep, it’s to be expected that emotions will spur harsh trash talk.

Porter when questioned said that he’s had a solid weight cut. He’s been eating all the way through camp. The video of him sitting on his bed and chowing down on a luscious snack of lettuce out of a bag came to mind. Both of us have a good set of tools. We shall see whose are better, he shared.

Contrast that if you like, with Spence sharing: “I’m gonna break his will and be the first person to stop Porter.” It came off like a promise and maybe you found yourself reminded that his nickname is “The Truth.”

I wouldn’t say a shadow looms over the two combatants but the name “Manny Pacquiao” is bouncing around. Maybe too much…maybe not enough people think that perhaps Porter will be more up for Spence than he was Yordenis Ugas and will test the Texan harder than is assumed by many pundits. However it’s fair to say that, outside looking in, most folks think they will see Spence snag another strap on Saturday, paving the way for an even higher-profile tango for him…one against the Fighting Senator and WBA beltholder Pacquiao. “Pacman” would prefer to get word that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is keen to glove up again…but will perhaps be open to taking on arguably the toughest test of his career: a fight against a prime Errol Spence and, at age 41 in December, a mountain to climb well past his physical prime.

But that’s all premarure chatter – Shawn Porter’s will is never in question and only a newbie or a fool would dismiss his chance to get the W at Staples Center and on FOX Pay-Per-View, tomorrow night.

The co-feature is getting love in the chat rooms and on social media. David Benavidez and Anthony Dirrell both made weight for their support scrap. The WBC titlist Dirrell was 167.6 while Benavidez, who lost that strap for a youthful misstep, the fresher athlete, was also 167.6.

The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and includes a junior welterweight bout between Mario “El Azteca” Barrios vs. Batyr Akhmedov (139.4), as well as a clash between veteran contenders Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez (146.6) and John Molina Jr. (146.2), who meet in a welterweight attraction and each seek to prove he has the better reservoir in the gas tank.

Of the FOX crew working on the weigh-in show, on FS1, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and Keith Thurman said they like Spence to win. Danny Garcia thinks Spence will take a majority decision. Mancini, the living legend, called it a “pick ’em” fight. Garcia said Porter will not have an easy time with a southpaw who punches as hard as Spence.

Readers, what say you? Who wins Spence vs. Porter and how?

 

 

Follow Michael Woods on Twitter @Woodsy1069.

 

 

 

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