Errol Spence Jr. faces Shawn Porter in welterweight unification bout on Sept. 28
Errol Spence Jr. already has ascended to elite-fighter status. Now the reigning welterweight champion strives to make the inroads into mainstream acceptance.
Being a world champion in arguably boxing’s deepest division helps Spence’s plan to unify sanctioning body belts. The International Boxing Federation champion will have his first opportunity Sept. 28.
Spence will face World Boxing Council champion Shawn Porter at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The bout will be Spence’s second as a pay-per-view headliner.
“It’s something I’ve been asking for a long time,” Spence said. I’m fighting with a great champion, a guy who is going to come ready.”
Despite his Olympic pedigree, Spence had a more deliberate path to a world-title fight than many recent successful amateurs. Spence, who represented the United States in the 2012 Summer Games and reached the tournament quarterfinals, finally received his title shot by his 22nd bout.
The recognition of Spence among the elite began with his title-winning performance over Kell Brook last year. Spence (25-0, 21 KOs) further solidified his spot with a convincing decision over Mikey Garcia on March 16. Garcia moved up two weights to face Spence, but the four-division champion also is in the short list of the sport’s best fighters.
Spence, 29, fights under Premier Boxing Champions, the company overseen by influential adviser Al Haymon. Premier Boxing also has reigning welterweight titleholders Porter and Manny Pacquiao, former champion Keith Thurman and top contenders Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas under its banner.
With Premier Boxing overseeing many of the top welterweights, it has already showcased fights such as Pacquiao-Thurman, Porter-Thurman, Porter-Garcia and Thurman-Garcia.
“I’ve been on the sidelines watching Shawn fight Keith Thurman, watching Shawn fight Danny, watching Danny fight Keith Thurman,” Spence said. “Now I’m in that group, and I have that opportunity to fight the top guys in the welterweight division and make my name known.
“It starts off with beating Shawn and, hopefully, we have other big fights after that. But it starts September 28 with Shawn Porter and taking that WBC belt from him.”
Spence talks of unifying all welterweight belts but there is one obvious obstacle and the fight most fans prefer — a bout with Terence Crawford.
Like Spence, Crawford is considered among the top pound-for-pound fighters. However, Crawford fights for rival company Top Rank, creating a promotional barrier not factored in matches such as Spence-Porter.
In a recent news conference, Spence talked of possible future fights with his Premier Boxing teammates but also included Crawford.
“My whole thing is I want to clear out the division,” Spence said. “I want the top guys in the division.”
AROUND THE RING
▪ In what had been rumored for weeks became official Friday. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s next fight will be against light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.
Alvarez, the reigning middleweight champion, and Kovalev will fight for Kovalev’s World Boxing Organization title Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.
A native of Mexico, Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs) won a close unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs in his recent bout May 4. Alvarez already moved up in weight last December and stopped Rocky Fielding in three rounds for a super-middleweight belt.
Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) is in his third reign as light-heavyweight titleholder. The part-time Fort Lauderdale resident recently retained his belt with an 11th round TKO over Anthony Yarde Aug. 24 in Kovalev’s native Russia.
DAZN will broadcast the bout, Alvarez’s third of an 11-fight deal with the streaming service.
▪ Late Saturday, former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and junior-middleweight titleholder Jaime Mungia won their respective bouts.
Fury (29-0-1) won a unanimous decision over Otto Wallin in Las Vegas while Mungia (34-0, 27 KOs) retained his title with a fourth-round knockout over Patrick Allotey in Carson, Calif.
COMING UP
Saturday (10:30 p.m., Fox Sports1): Peter Quillin vs. Alfredo Angulo, 10, middleweights.
This story was originally published September 15, 2019 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Errol Spence Jr. faces Shawn Porter in welterweight unification bout on Sept. 28."