Shawn Porter overcame Danny Garcia on Saturday night (Photo: Amanda Westcott – SHOWTIME)

By Hassnain Tariq 

This past Saturday at the iconic Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, we had a thrilling contest between two of the top welterweight fighters of the world, as Shawn Porter overcame former champion Danny Garcia and will now look to go on to bigger and better things.

The beginning of this matchup showed how this thrilling contest was going to be an exciting, action-packed fight where controversy would loom. Both fighters had suffered losses to reigning WBA champion Keith Thurman, but coming into this match they were still top, elite-level fighters in the prime of their careers. The contradictory styles of each man was on display as they were battling in a high-stakes contest for the prestigious WBC title.

This was a must-watch matchup, with potential future opponents like Thurman and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. both in attendance and surely licking their lips at the thought of facing the winner next year.

But what did we learn from Porter’s performance after his victory?

After analyzing Porter’s previous performances coming into this fight we knew he was aggressive and relentless in his attack. It was a surprise to see Porter fight from a distance in the beginning of the bout as this seemed to confuse Garcia, who decreased his punch output and focused on timing his foe to keep Shawn on the outside. As the rounds went by it became noticeable how Porter’s game plan set out by his father Kenny was to box smartly rather than show aggression and recklessness while reverting back to his usual strategy.

The game plan of Porter (29-2-1, 17 KO’s) showed how his body attack became his success through out while his strategic feints kept Garcia confused and unsure at times in a fast-paced chess match that had the crowd on their feet.

Porter stated after the fight “I made a prediction and a hard one to live up to. I said I wasn’t leaving New York without this belt, and I’m not leaving New York without this belt.”

Porter showed tenacity during the bout and made adjustments in changing the flow of the fight in the middle rounds. Porter also gave Garcia the problem of not letting him lean on him in close. Porter tactically shook things up, in switching his arsenal, reversing to southpaw during the fight, and employed his will in switching things up. What was critical for Porter was to press forward and nullify Garcia’s attack and out counter the counter puncher.

So what’s next? Garcia may have taken a devastating loss but it was to an elite athlete; however, his respect in the ring is not lost and he showed tenacity. Could Garcia go to the UK and possibly knock out Amir Khan once again? Who knows?

Does Garcia need a strength and conditioning coach to develop his style further? These are all questions Garcia and his team need to ask in order to become successful in the elite class. Garcia would’ve benefited from upping his work rate when he saw that Porter was actually boxing him and not looking for a dog fight. In a sense, Porter beat Garcia in a fashion where he would have been hard to beat at 140 pounds.

For Porter there are endless opportunities. Would he entertain the IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr? We saw how vocal Errol was as he came in to the ring respectfully taunting Porter as the two went back and forth in entertaining fashion.

We know the inactivity of Thurman has held him back and Keith needs to prove himself worthy as he regains his activity. Could Porter possibly lean towards the [Kell] Brook rematch? As the former UK champ is said to be fighting at welterweight again.

Contender Yordenis Ugas, who beat Cesar Miguel Barrionuevo on the undercard in a WBC eliminator, is also a possibility as he proves to be an exciting up and coming talent.

To conclude, it is evident the fans are always the winners in these circumstances. Whatever happens going forward, both fighters were winners on Saturday night in an action packed fight filled with entertainment in a high-end elite level matchup where both fighters performed to a high level of degree.

I have personally been critical of Porters style in the past but he shocked me on Saturday night with his outside approach and consistent flurries. Saturday proved how exciting these fighters were.

Hassnain Tariq can be reached at W1536881@my.westminster.ac.uk