NEW YORK – Conventional wisdom was that Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, both former welterweight world titleholders with massive experience against many of the best fighters in their division, were about as evenly matched as one could hope.
And when they met for a vacant belt before 13,058 on Saturday night in the main event of the 30th boxing card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, they indeed put on a highly competitive and exciting fight but it was Porter, thanks to his relentless pressure, who won a unanimous decision to claim his second 147-pound world title.
Judge Don Ackerman scored the fight 116-112 and judges Julie Lederman and Eric Marlinski each had it 115-113. ESPN had it 114-114.
With the victory, Porter set himself up for a possible unification fight with Errol Spence Jr., who was ringside and has very much wanted to unify.
The fight began at a measured pace and when they both threw right hands at the end of the first round, Garcia’s connected and Porter’s missed, drawing cheers from the crowd. The action soon picked up and they put on a very crowd-pleasing fight.
Garcia’s punches landed with thudding impact that could be heard at ringside, including a hard left hook in the third round. Porter, two inches shorter than Garcia, tried to jab his way in but had difficulties.
Porter, known for bull rushing opponents, came straight ahead in the fourth round and belted Garcia with several good body shots and a right hand upstairs as he got his offense going.
Porter’s offense was not consistent, however. When he couldn’t get inside on Garcia he tried to maul, but Garcia stepped back and landed his shots.
Porter is notorious for getting his head involved in fights and after an accidental head butt in the seventh round, referee Steve Willis warned him to be careful with his head. He had Garcia in retreat later in the seventh round as he lashed him with right hands over the top.
Porter (29-2-1, 17 KOs), 30, of Las Vegas, continued to take aim at Garcia’s body it the eighth round. He put his head down and bombed away inside though he took a few right hands for his trouble in what was becoming an increasingly rough fight, especially on the inside as they went toe to toe.
Garcia had predicted a knockout win in under nine rounds but the ninth came and went without either man being in any serious trouble. So many of the rounds seemed close that it was hard to pick a winner, especially late in the fight when they traded back and forth in the center of the ring, such as late in the 10th round as they fired away with abandon.
Porter, who earned $1 million to Garcia’s $1.2 million, continued to pressure Garcia (34-2, 20 KOs), 30, of Philadelphia, in the 11th round and Garcia answered counter shots in yet another close frame. With the fight seemingly on the table in the 12th round, they exchanged punches at close range over the final 30 seconds save for one clinch as they crowd rose to its feet in appreciation of the tremendous battle.
