By Jake Donovan
Shawn Porter has long ago earned a reputation as one of the hardest working athletes in boxing today. The former welterweight titlist exhibited such a work ethic in his most recent win, a 12-round decisoin over former three-division titlist Adrien Broner in June.
The win came in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, airing live on NBC and playing to his biggest audience to date, with more than two million viewers tuning in for the fight.
It was arguably his most notable win to date, even more significant since it took place at his lightest weight in more than four years. Broner insisted on the fight taking place at a maximum catchweight of 144 lbs., to which Porter agreed and complied.
While it was Broner who ironically struggled to make weight, Porter doesn't plan on making such a concession for any other fighter.
"147 is my weight class. We ain't going to move any further down," Porter (26-1-1, 16KOs) informed NBC Sports Network's Kenny Rice during a recent Premier Boxing Champion (PBC) show at The Palms in Las Vegas.
The night at the fights—headlined by Beibut Shumenov's debatable points win over B.J. Flores—was a rare night off work for the Ohio native, who is eyeing a quick ring return.
"Just back to work, gearing up for I think September," Porter revealed of his upcoming plans.
Porter did not mention an opponent or where his fight would take place. Adviser Al Haymon has his hands in shows taking place on September 6 (CBS), September 11 (Spike), September 12 (NBC afternoon show for now, and then on whatever network Floyd Mayweather's fight lands) and September 18 (Bounce TV).
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox