Prize Fight Boxing: Prospect Shawn Porter Goes Hollywood

Ohio native and former U.S. amateur boxing star, unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Shawn Porter, headed west a month ago for Hollywood, not for the bright lights or to meet celebrities, but to prepare for his August 29th fight at the famed Wild Card Gym.

Undefeated middleweight Fernando Guerrero (14-0, 12 KOs) headlines the Aug. 29th “Boxing’s Future Champions II” pay-per-view pro card in the 8-round main event against Chris “On Target” Archer (11-7, 7 KOs), live on streaming video from Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi.

Porter (9-0, 7 KOs), 2007 World Golden Gloves champion and 2008 U.S. OIympic Team alternate, meets Lamar Harris (6-2, 4 KOs) in the 6-round co-feature. “I reevaluated and rededicated myself to become the boxer I can be,” Porter explained from camp.

“I’ve been able to improve a lot here and prepare for my match. It’s a very, very big fight for me because it’s No. 10. I couldn’t ask for anything better than the training I’ve gotten here. I got excited the first time I walked into Wild Card. It’s big and has everything.

“Guys are always walking in, so if you want to catch mitts, work on the bags, or spar with a 140 to 175 pounder, it’s not a problem.”

Porter has gained invaluable experience sparring in the past with Kelly Pavlik and Chad Dawson. Now, Freddie Roach has asked him to be a sparring partner for the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquaio.

“It’s bizarre, still surreal, not far from amazing,” Shawn said about being Pacquaio’s sparring partner for his fight against Miguel Cotto. “I’ll get in the ring confident of working hard to help make him better and learning so many things from him. They want me to play the Cotto role. It’s unbelievable. We start in mid-September.”

First, though, Porter has business to take care of in Mississippi against Harris. In his last fight on the inaugural “Boxing’s Future’s Champions” show in June, Porter stopped last-minute replacement Brandon Wood at 2:09 of the opening round. Opponents falling out have been a reoccurring problem for Shawn going back to his amateur days.

“We’ve been dealing with opponents falling out since Shawn was 15 or 16,” his father/head trainer Kenny Porter remarked. “I used to bring in four guys when I promoted shows in Ohio. We’d sell the place out and I couldn’t take a chance that Shawn wouldn’t have an opponent. He was fighting at 165 but we had to take guys 178 pounds, twice, and even a heavyweight once. Shawn knocked them all out. It’s frustrating at times but we’re used to it.

“We’re looking ahead very soon to fighting opponents who put it all on the line. Fighting on this show means Shawn’s going global and people all over the world will watch him fight, not just his close friends and those at the show. It’s a great opportunity other guys in his class don’t get. It’s an opportunity we have because we’re with Prize Fight Boxing; it’s a blessing.

“Shawn went right into training after his last fight, eight weeks ago now, the last three at Wild Card Gym. We’ve worked on his mental focus. When you win easy, sometimes fights are taken for granted. Right now, Shawn’s working on all cylinders. He’s in the best shape – mentally, physically and spiritually – of his life.

“Freddie Roach has been impressed working with Shawn the last three weeks. Bringing him into Pacquiao’s camp to play the Cotto role is exciting. I told Shawn I want him to be a consummate professional in his sport, not just a pro boxer, by studying tapes of his fights and his opponents. He’s doing that now. This has been an exceptional camp. Everything is right!”

Also fighting on this exciting card is once-beaten Philadelphia heavyweight “Gentleman” Chazz Witherspoon (25-1, 17 KOs), the 2004 National Golden Gloves champion whose only loss in 26 pro fights was last year to world title challenger Chris Arreola. Chazz, whose cousin Tim was world heavyweight champion, meets heavyweight gatekeeper Stacy “Big Foot” Frazier (14-5, 13 KOs) in an 8-round bout.

In a pair of 4-rounders, exciting middleweight Dominic Wade (3-0, 3 KOs), 4-time Junior Olympic champion, battles 23-fight veteran Tyrone Dowdy, while 2004-2005 U.S Super Heavyweight Champion Mike Wilson makes his much anticipated pro debut against experienced “Marvelous” Marvin Hunt.

“Boxing’s Future Champions II,” presented by Prize Fight Boxing, will air on PPV at www.PrizeFightTV.com, starting at 8 PM/ET, for only $4.99.