Las Vegan Shawn Porter takes next step in title pursuit

Former two-time welterweight champion boxer and Las Vegas resident Shawn Porter is ready to challenge for the welterweight title once again. Well, almost ready.

He just needs to beat Sebastian Formella first.

“This fight for me is a matter of getting boxing back going,” Porter said. “We’ve had a couple of big fights, but I really do think that boxing gets kicked off this Saturday night with ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter and Sebastian Formella.”

Porter (30-3-1, 17 knockouts) and Formella (22-0, 10 KOs) will battle in an IBF and WBC title eliminator at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The fight card is produced by Premier Boxing Champions and will air on Fox.

The winner is in line to face either unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. or Danny Garcia, who fight Nov. 21 for Spence’s IBF and WBC belts.

“The plan is to get back into a world title fight. I don’t know exactly when that plan will come together, but I’ll be ready,” said the 32-year-old Porter, who hails from Akron, Ohio. “I’m keeping my eye on the (Spence and Garcia) fight as a potential future opponent, but also as a fan of the sport.”

Porter last fought the unbeaten Spence in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, losing via split decision in one of the most entertaining fights of 2019. He was inactive in the winter, but resumed training in his father’s backyard amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He said his training camp was relatively normal and perhaps even more thorough than usual in preparation for Formella, whom he insists he’s not overlooking despite his relative unknown profile.

“That has become a trend or has been a trend in boxing, where a fighter overlooks one fighter because he’s looking for something great,” Porter said. “But I learned that a long time ago that you’ve got to take the blessing that’s right there in front of you, hone in on that and make the best of that.”

Formella has put together an impressive resume in his native Germany, but has not yet fought in the United States or against a boxer of Porter’s ilk. That 33-year-old concedes that he doesn’t have traditional knockout power and instead boasts boxing fundamentals like footwork and movement.

Porter is lauded for his aggressive, pressuring style.

“We made plans A, B and C because Porter is a strong fighter who comes forward and attacks the body and head. He has heavy hands so we looked at his mistakes and made a plan to box him and show off our style,” said Formella, who prepared for this fight by sparring with one of Porter’s former opponents, Yordenis Ugas.

“I think (I have) an interesting style for him to face,” he added. “I have the skills to make life very difficult in the ring for Shawn Porter.”

Porter said he’s gathered intel on Formella from his friends in Germany and is predicting a knockout victory.

All the while, however, Spence or Garcia loom.

“The statement to me is that boxing is back and that ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter is back,” Porter said. “I’m going to come out the same way I’ve always come out, high energy, fast, quick and sharp. And the fight’s going to last as long as Formella allows it to last.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.