Shawn Porter sticks to his guns in knockout win

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Erick Bone slipped in a few good shots against Shawn Porter, but the fifth round proved just how overmatched the last-minute replacement fighter was. It also proved the wisdom of sticking to your game plan.

Shawn Porter and Erick Bone

Shawn Porter dishes it out to Erick Bone March 13 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

After Roberto Garcia was forced to withdraw from Friday’s fight at Ontario, California’s, Citizens Business Bank arena on Premier Boxing Champions first Spike TV card, Porter could have undone weeks’ worth of strategy in a blind hustle to strategize against the unknown.

Instead, he committed to an aggressive plan of attack that revolved around punishing his opponents' body.

“I don’t want to make it sound easy because it’s not, but we had a game plan and we stuck to it,” Porter said “Mentally, it wasn’t hard. I just stayed to myself and listened to my corner.”

That all paid off in spades in the fifth when Porter flattened Bone with a crushing right for a knockdown, and sealed the deal at 2:30 of the fifth when he blasted Bone with a right that stunned the game Ecuadorian, and fired four power shots that all landed to the head and sent Bone through the ropes.

“I saw the body shots. They were digging in. I knew it was only a matter of time when he went down. When he went down initially, I knew why,” Porter said. “I didn’t get over excited. My immediate thought was get to that body, break him down some more, hurt him, and then I saw an opening to the head, threw a right hook and got him out of there.”

The morning after the fight, Porter looked as fresh as he did the day of weigh-ins. If the fight took anything out of him, the effects weren’t even a little bit visible.

“I’m healthy. I’m in shape,” Porter said. “I’m not going to take too much time off. We’ll look to get in there as soon as possible.”

As for who that might be against? Porter’s trainer and father, Kenny Porter, had a couple of ideas.

“Berto did a great job tonight. It’s the type of fight people want to see. Shawn Porter vs. Andre Berto. Let’s do it,” Kenny Porter said. “I know Keith [Thurman] won’t be ready that soon but we’re coming. I’m looking forward to all of that. He wants to be great. The only way you’re going to be great is [Sugar Ray] Leonard, [Thomas] Hearns, [Marvin] Hagler, [Roberto] Duran: They fought each other. Porter, Thurman, Berto,[Floyd]  Mayweather, [Manny] Pacquiao. You don’t just call yourself great. You make people say you’re great.” 

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