Ex-welterweight titleholder Shawn Porter confirmed he hurt Oleksandr Usyk when the pair met in the amateurs.
The talented and retired discussed his great victory over the formidable current unified heavyweight champion.
“Showtime” revealed all on his Porter Way Podcast regarding a stunning win at 165 pounds during his amateur run.
Porter also outlined that he managed to rock Usyk towards the end of the bout in 2006, a happening that seems unfathomable in 2022.
How did Shawn Porter beat Oleksandr Usyk?
Asked, “How did you beat Usyk in the amateurs?” – Shawn Porter responded: “[It was an] Amazing fight.
“So it was Keith Thurman and me, along with a few others. There were eleven guys on the team. I don’t remember who else was there.
“We had Ukraine come over for a USA vs Ukraine dual, which was right outside Chicago. Keith was 152, and I was 165 [pounds].
“So I think we had 101, 106, 112, 118, 125 [weight classes]. Everybody is coming back to the locker room, and they are coming back, losing.
“So me and Keith were in the locker room getting warmed up. We looked at each other and said we were not going home with a loss.
“So he went out there and did his thing, and I went out there against Usyk. He’s tall, he’s 165, southpaw, and back then, we fought on the point system.
“Three out of five judges had to push a point within one second for you to get the point for the fight. In the first round, I was winning by two points. The second round was tied. Then going into the third round, I was up by one point.
“Going into the final round, the other assistant coach that we had grabbed my foot before I got off the stool, and he says If you line this dude up and catch him with a right hand, you are going to get him.
Usyk rocked
“We were doing four two-minute rounds, so this was the fourth round. I caught him with a right hand for the final two minutes and less than a minute into that round. He took a few steps back, enough for me to know he was hurt.
“I just jumped on him and kept boxing. I ended up winning the fight by like four points.”
Porter added his feelings after the contest: “I remember when my hand was raised, it was a close fight all the way until the end.
“I remember thinking to myself. I earned that win. It wasn’t a fight just because he came over to the US. I actually earned that win.
“It was a close fight, but it was a fair decision.”
On whether he ever ran into Usyk further down the line as he dominated the cruiserweight division and moved up to heavyweight, the American said:
“I was in Ukraine in 2018, and it was all love. People talk about that fight, and I actually forgot all about it.”
Heavyweight sparring
Concluding on if he’d accept a sparring session with Usyk now, Porter stated: “He’s two hundred plus pounds now, so no.
“But if there were ever an event that came up, yeah, I would get in the ring with him.
“My dad has been having me fight against heavyweights since I was ten years old, so it is what it is.”
Turning professional two years after the Usyk triumph, Porter enjoyed a stellar career at the very top level, which is no surprise.
He won the IBF title at 147 pounds in 2014. Porter followed that up with the WBC version in 2018.
His final bout took place in Las Vegas in November. So far, Porter has resisted the urge to return for a 37th pro outing.
Shawn Porter’s record reads 31-4-1 after his loss to Terence Crawford last November.
WBN Editor Phil Jay has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews, Instagram, and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
