Porter Outworks Jordan / Lane Pummels Tucker!
By: Joe Martin
February 19th, Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio: Brian Young’s Prize Fight Boxing Promotions brought their hot light middleweight prospect Shawn “Showtime” Porter back home to Ohio to battle Rochester, New York’s Russell “Spiderman” Jordan for the vacant NABO light middleweight title.
Porter trained by his father Kenny is an extremely talented prospect coming in with an impressive amateur resume which includes a 2006 under-19 National Championship, a 2007 National Golden Gloves Middleweight Title and being selected as an alternate on the 2008 US Olympic team.
“Showtime” 5’7 advanced to 12-0, 10Ko’s over lighter competition and had a much tougher night than expected. Giving away seven inches in height Porter had a hard time getting inside the 6’2 Jordan’s reach. In the first round it looked Porter already had Jordan figured out until the second round when he ate a solid right hook from the lanky southpaw rocking him back on his heels. Two more heavy hooks from Jordan would keep Porter on his toes.
Jordan 15-6, 10Ko’s who lost two of his last three and was stopped by Louis Collazzo in his last bout made clear he wasn’t going away easy. Jordan used his jab mixing it in occasional lefts setting up his best punch of the night, his right hook. Surprisingly enough though despite seeing the positive results of his hook in the second round the tall New Yorker never really sat down on the shot again.
Porter who served as a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao clearly had the superior hand speed but seemed to be reaching most of the time failing to take full advantage when he made his way inside.
Entering the middle rounds both fighters were cut from accidental head buts but it wouldn’t become a factor. Jordan was falling to his left giving away his height advantage also making it more difficult to find a spot for his right hook and allowing Porter to get inside and begin to catch the slender Jordan on his thin frame with some good body shots.
Porter never having to fight past the fourth round in his previous twelve fights proved to have the superior conditioning picking up the pace and out working a fading Jordan winning the last four straight, even wobbling Jordan near the end of the tenth.
In the ninth round referee Randy Jarvis took a point from Jordan for losing his mouthpiece for the second time clearly after eating a Porter hook. It didn’t appear appropriate but wasn’t a factor. The scorecards were announced judges Tom Miller and Phil Rogers calling it 97-92 with judge Eugene Glenn somehow seeing it 100-89 all for Porter, apparently judge Glen missed Jordan’s hooks in round two.
Porter was the clear victor but had a rougher night than expected. He showed there are still amateur characteristics he needs to get change like always bouncing sending a clear signal when he’ll start punching. Porter also failed to demonstrate the punching power one would normally associate with ten Ko in twelve bouts. I would suspect when the bounce goes the real power will come. The education continues with Porter still undefeated at 13-0, 10Ko’s dropping Jordan to 15-7, 10Ko’s.
In an action packed semi main attraction Philadelphia’s Lanard Lane remained unbeaten outgunning Toledo, Ohio’s Martin Tucker. Lane scored more, landed more beating Tucker nearly two to one with rapid combinations from all angles. The rugged Martin stood his ground at times but was out gunned, outmatched and in the end out scored 77-75, 78-74 and 80-71. Tucker falls to 7-5, 3Ko’s as Lane advances to 11-0, 7Ko’s looking for the next step up.
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Guerrero Vacates JR. Lightweight Title as Wife Battles Cancer!
(PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotion)
LOS ANGELES, February 16 - Two-Division World Champion Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, the current IBF Junior Lightweight World Title holder, announced today that he is relinquishing his title in order to care for his wife Casey, who is currently battling leukemia.
"It is with great regret that I am relinquishing the junior lightweight championship of the world that I, along with my team, worked so hard to capture," said the 26-year old Guerrero. "I feel that it is in the best interest of the sport and the fans that I care so deeply for to give someone else a chance to fulfill their dream of becoming a World Champion. I am now focused on the love of my life, my wife Casey, as undoubtedly we face the greatest opponent of our life, cancer. Whatever the outcome, our faith in Jesus Christ will get us through. Thank you for the prayers and support. God bless."
Casey Guerrero, who was stricken with leukemia in 2007, is currently recovering from a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy treatment. Within the next two to three weeks it will be known whether her latest treatment was a success or not.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Guerrero family during this tough time," said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. "We respect his decision to vacate his title and will do everything in our power to get him back in for a World Title shot when he is ready to return to the ring."
"We would like to thank everyone involved with Golden Boy Promotions for their support and understanding in a very difficult situation," said Guerrero's co-managers, Bob Santos and Shelly Finkel.
Contacts: Ramiro Gonzalez/Monica Sears, Goldenboy Promotions (213) 489-5631
Mario Serrano, Publicist ~ Team Guerrero, boxingpublicist@aol.com, (408) 607-5756
SANTOS MANAGEMENT: santosboxing@sbcglobal.net, (408) 655-4949
