Errol Spence Jr. has the chance to unify the welterweight division when he defends his IBF crown against WBC titlist Shawn Porter.
The undefeated star returns to action on September 28 for his biggest challenge yet in Los Angeles, California, at the Staples Center. Spence is a slight favorite to win Porter, who has just one loss on his professional record, is a two-time ruler having previously held the IBF title.
His only defeat comes to Kell Brook. The Briton would later relinquish his title to Spence in 2017.
Errol Spence
As well as Spence and Porter, the 147-lb landscape also includes Manny Pacquiao and Terrance Crawford, who hold the WBA and WBO world champion versions, respectively.
Despite there being some potential mouth-watering clashes next year, ‘The Truth’ is refusing to look past his fellow American next month. This is despite promising to defeat them all.
“I guarantee you, I will become the undisputed welterweight champion of the world,” said Spence. “I have to get through Shawn Porter first and become unified.
“This is going to be a tough fight. Shawn is a dog. He has amazing heart.
“I am not going to say he has all the skills in the world, but he does have talent. He’s a guy that’s going to come to fight and give it his all.
“But I believe I do have the skills and talent. The dog and the heart to not only make this an easy fight. I can stop him and that’s what I am looking to do.”
GARCIA
Spence’s previous fight against Mikey Garcia saw ‘The Truth’ end a run of 11 consecutive wins inside the distance.
He dismantled the four-weight champion with scorecards rightly reflecting (120-108 twice and 120-107) – something Spence believes silenced critics.
“You saw a different fight when I fought Mikey Garcia. Everybody said I didn’t have the boxing IQ or the boxing intellect to keep up with Mikey Garcia. Or to box him on the outside and to show that I was sharp.
“I am not just a guy who will just maul you and run through you and beat you up. In this fight, I will get back to my old self. You’ll see a guy who is going to push the pace, look for the fight and try to go for the stoppage or the knockout to score an impressive one-sided victory.
“Everybody tune in to the fight. It’s going to be a great fight, action packed fight and it can be the Fight of the Year.
“I feel like there’s no way he’s going to be fighting me on the outside. So he’s going to be a guy that’s going to try to come forward and try to set the pace and rough me up.
“He’s going to try to show me things that have never been brought out of me, that I’m going to have to prove.”
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