By Steve Kim
As Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16KOs) faces Keith Thurman (26-0, 22KOs) for the WBA welterweight title this weekend at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, it's been over a full calendar year since he's participated in an actual fight.
But the layoff does not concern his father, Kenny Porter, who also trains him.
"Not at all,' said the elder Porter earlier this week. "He is a different kind if individual. So over the course of the last year lived the life of a consummate professional athlete. Not one who parties on weekends, not one who hung out with buddies and friends all the time. Not one who was in crazy relationships, stalking women and things like that. He just stayed focus on his lifestyle, he attends church twice on Sunday, Monday night and Wednesday night and we prepared to fight Keith Thurman on March 12th and we did an exhibition."
When the original date of this bout was postponed as Thurman was reportedly injured in an auto accident, Porter had a sparring session that was streamed against Lanardo Tyner a few months ago.
"So what he was able to do in that exhibition in my eyes and expectations is he had he the ability to bring his weight up where I wanted him to be - which was 150. I didn't feel it was necessary to go any lower. Then also the ability to be in condition and in shape to go twelve rounds and do the things I asked him to do, follow the directives for twelve rounds," said Porter.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.
