By Rick Reeno
MGM Grand, Las Vegas - In a recent interview, retired former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. accused the entire welterweight division of avoiding Errol Spence Jr. (21-0, 18 KOs).
Speaking for himself, former welterweight champion Shawn Porter threw water at Mayweather's statement.
"I heard [Mayweather] say that. Speaking for myself, I'm not avoiding Errol Spence. I'm respecting my position. And my position says that I'll fight anybody in the top three, top two, the number one guy. That's what my money commands, that's my status, that's what I command. I'm not avoiding him," Porter said.
"I think Floyd has been in the ring with Errol and saw what he can really do. I think he knows Errol's potential; and saying all that he thinks that some of us are avoiding him. I'm not. Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman are getting in the ring to fight. That's number one and number two, they are not avoiding him."
In the opinion of Porter, the only boxer who is avoiding the fight with Spence is current IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs).
"He's supposed to have the fight with Kell Brook dating back to I don't know how long. So if anybody is avoiding or ducking Errol Spence - it's Kell Brook. He's the mandatory fighter to that world title. I fought Kell Brook when he was the mandatory. It's only right that he does the same thing. I don't know what's taking him so long," Porter said.
Brook is still undecided on his next fight and his next weight division. Last September, Brook jumped up by two divisions to challenge IBO, IBF, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. He was stopped in five rounds and suffered a fractured orbital bone.
Brook, who struggles to squeeze down to 147, is considering the possibility of vacating his title and moving up to junior middleweight. His team, which includes promoter Eddie Hearn, would like to see him move up to 154. The IBF wants Brook to make a decision on the matter by mid-February.
