From the moment the bell sounded to signal the 12th and final round of his memorable welterweight title unification clash with Errol Spence, Shawn Porter knew this was the stage on which he wanted to remain.

The fond memories were enough to where the thought of fighting in a venue without fans in attendance isn’t much of an option at all.

The former two-time welterweight titlist remains on the hunt for big game in the talent-rich welterweight division. He fell just short his clash with Spence (26-0, 21KOs) last September, dropping a heartbreaking split decision in one of the best fights of the year. In a way, his performance was similar to that of his June 2016 challenge of then-unbeaten welterweight titlist Keith Thurman where he lost a tightly contested unanimous decision but proved his worth at the weight.

In the months following the loss to Spence, Porter’s name has repeatedly come up regarding two more welterweight titlists—Terence Crawford (36-0, 27KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs). That is the level at which he plans to compete, even if it means having to wait longer than others to return to the ring as the sport remains shut down due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

A fight with Crawford remains the more likely option of the two, though by no means probable. Still, even being ringside for the sport’s last truly big fight—Tyson Fury’s heavyweight championship-claiming 7th round knockout of Deontay Wilder in their rematch this past February—got the juices flowing again for wanting to once again perform on that level.

“It was an amazing night, the atmosphere was crazy,” recalled Porter, who served in his role as expert analyst for Fox Sports in the joint venture with ESPN. “I do believe that’s something Terence Crawford can duplicate. That night had me thinking… it can really happen. I need a night like this on my resume.

“Once things blows over, we’ll have a better perspective of who we can go after. [The thought of] not fighting in front of a crowd really bothers me.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox