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Shawn Porter scored a
12-round unanimous decision over Danny Garcia Saturday night
in Brooklyn to capture the vacant WBC welterweight title in
the close and entertaining main event at the Barclays
Center. Porter used a greater work rate, throwing nearly
300 more punches, to nip Garcia at the wire of a close
fight. Garcia’s punches were cleaner, more accurate, and
harder than Porter’s, but it was not enough to win the
fight.
Porter began the fight in unfamiliar fashion, boxing from
the outside instead of his usual crowding and swarming
style. The switch-up gave Garcia a clear edge, and Danny
took the first three rounds on my card. Garcia was
comfortable boxing at this range and began landing powerful
counter punches. He cracked Porter with a solid right to
end the first and appeared fully warmed up by the third when
his rights and left hooks found their mark.
However in round three,
the old Shawn Porter surfaced, and this changed the course
of the fight. Suddenly, Porter was aggressive, more
physical, and brought the fight right into Danny’s face.
Porter began to land, and managed a nice right-left combo in
the fourth. Garcia dug in and responded with his own
punches. Going into the fight, this was the way most of us
figured the battle would play out, and the crowd of 13,058
moved to the edge of their seats in anticipation of the
fireworks that would surely follow.
The action remained consistent in the fight but the things
never ignited into full-fledged fireworks. It was more of
an aggressive chess match. The missing piece of the war
that never quite broke out was Garcia. Instead of fully
engaging in the battle, he constantly worked to take the
fight to the outside, where he was much more content to
box. But Porter would have none of it and continued to bull
his way in, punching all the time, and pressing his way
toward controlling the fight.
Porter began to bank rounds, sweeping the next five on my
card. Garcia stayed in the fight and kept matters close
with his sharp counters. When he landed, Garcia looked
strong, but when he wasn’t countering, he was stalking. Had
he thrown more punches, even jabs, while he had Porter at a
distance, the appearance of the fight might have swung more
in his direction.
Instead, Porter controlled the action, forced the fight, and
kept his hands in nearly constant motion. Further, when he
crowded Garcia, Danny looked extremely uncomfortable.
Garcia attempted to hit Porter as he rushed in – and often
did with uppercuts and other assorted short shots – but
would then force a clinch in an attempt to smother Porter’s
output. A smart move perhaps, but not one that helps win a
decision. Referee Steve Willis stayed close and kept the
fight moving.
Going into the fight, my expectations were that Porter’s
crowding style would put him right where Garcia wanted him –
directly in position for his powerful counter lefts and
rights. But Garcia did everything he could to get to the
outside, and in doing so, appeared to lose a good
opportunity.
Garcia settled in and fought more effectively in the ninth
and tenth. In these two rounds, he was more willing to wage
war, and grabbed both rounds from my perspective. The tenth
was the best round of the fight. The action was two-way and
everything we thought the entire fight might be. This surge
by Garcia evened my score and set the stage for a two round
finish to decide the outcome.
However, in the final
two rounds, the pattern reverted to that of the fight’s
middle, with Porter effectively rushing and Garcia working
for distance. Porter took both rounds to nail down the
close victory.
The official judges saw a similar fight. Don Ackerman had
it 116-112 (8 rounds to 4), while Julie Lederman and Eric
Marlinski saw it a point closer at 115-113. With the win
Porter improved to 29-2-1, 17 KOs, and Garcia slipped to
34-2, 20 KOs.
It was a very
competitive fight and extremely close. Many saw it dead
even and some even thought it could have gone Garcia’s way.
However, it was Porter’s extra effort that gave him the
sight lead he needed to score perhaps the biggest win of his
career. For Garcia, it was just his second loss, and each
time he fell short only be a whisker.
The fight was a good study in the difference between style
and effort. Those who thought Garcia won, cited cleaner and
more controlled punching as preferable to Porter’s sloppier
and more aggressive method. But had Garcia embraced his
natural fighting style it might have given him the extra
margin he needed.
Garcia made his bones in the early days of his championship
reign by using his heart, his fighting spirit, and his power
to win and defend his title. At some point in his career,
most likely after his close call against Mauricio Herrera,
Garcia began to mute his slugging and naturally aggressive
nature in favor of a smarter, more careful boxer-puncher.
He began to fight more cautiously and tried to make us
believe it was the evolution of his style. Garcia the
champion was smarter and could win fights the smart way.
However, as Garcia made this transition, his fights grew
quieter and his fan base dwindled. Most importantly, his
margins of victory also thinned. He made fights harder than
they should have been, and looked less and less comfortable
– and happy – in the ring.
Maybe it is inevitable
that a champion grows more cautions as his empire grows and
he has more and more to lose. This caution cost Garcia
against Thurman a year ago, and it cost him again on
Saturday night.
After the fight, Garcia was visibly hurt by the outcome. So
intent on winning yet another title, Danny was clearly
crushed with disappointment at the post-fight press
conference. He had no idea what would come next, but seemed
determined to go back to the drawing board and return. He
reminded us – and himself – that a champion is always a
champion.
Clearly Garcia can
still be a player in the red-hot welterweight division.
He’s lost only to two of the very best at 147, and both
times it was merely by a round or two. A few adjustments –
like fighting when it was time to fight - and he would have
won both bouts.
Shawn Porter made the necessary adjustment after round
three, and won the fight against Garcia. He tried boxing,
or fighting smart as some call it, before reverting to the
style that made him the threat in the ring that he truly
is. He was true to his ring identity and was rewarded for
it. Up next for Porter is one of a number of lucrative
title fights against the other top dogs in the welterweight
division.
Garcia is a good boxer, but he is a better fighter. If
Garcia the fighter surfaced more than in spurts on Saturday
night, he just might be the WBC welterweight champion
today. Instead, he must go back to the gym and find
himself. Only then can he return to the welterweight
bonanza.
OTHER RESULTS FROM BROOKLYN:
Yordenis Ugas W12 (U) Cesar Barrionuevo (WBC 147 Eliminator)
Adam Kownacki W10 (U) Charles Martin
Amanda Serrano W10 (U) Yamila Esther Reynoso (Vacant WBO 140
Title)
Chris Colbert W8 (U) Fatiou Fassinou
Richardson Hitchins W6 (U) Cesar Valenzuela
Dylan Price W6 (U) Mulapi Enjani
Marsellos Wilder TKO1 Ryan Williams (2:34)
Brandon Quarles W8 (S) Marcus Willis
Ricky Lopez W8 (U) Ramsey Luna
Jeffrey Torres TKO1 Emmanuel Valadez (1:58) |
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