Why Adrien Broner’s wild antics won’t be an issue for Shawn Porter

LAS VEGAS – There is one competition in which Shawn Porter doesn’t have, nor did he ever have, a chance against Adrien Broner:

Talking.

When it comes to making outrageous boasts, ridiculous self-comparisons and general off-the-wall comments, Broner is an all-time great.

As talented as he is – and make no mistake, Broner is a gifted boxer – he’s not remotely as skilled as he appears to believe. In terms of professionalism and dedication to his craft, he’s light years behind his idol and the man he calls his big brother, pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

Most of the focus is on Broner prior to most of his fights because he demands the spotlight. He says and does outrageous things repeatedly and has developed a relationship with Mayweather.

“With all the media here talking to him, it's obvious that Adrien is doing something right,” Mayweather said at Thursday’s news conference. “He's entertaining and people like it.

"There's no limit to how far Adrien Broner can go in this sport. He can fight. I'm in the gym with him and he's boxing top guys. He's pushing himself.”

Porter is a former world champion with just one defeat who is all but overlooked in this match. The focus prior to their NBC-televised fight Saturday at the MGM Grand has been primarily on Broner, although the MGM has the fight at just about even with Broner a slight favorite at -120 while Porter is -110.

Porter, whose only loss was to Kell Brook last year, is hardly a walkover. Broner deserves credit for his willingness to fight an opponent as challenging as Porter.

Broner’s nonstop yapping can get into an opponent’s head, but Porter knows getting angry is not a wise move in the boxing ring.

Porter said he hasn’t prepared specifically for any Broner antics and instead has focused on getting physically ready and executing his plan.

“I understand that could arise during the fight,” Porter said of Broner’s behavior in the ring. “My whole thing is this, and it's something that my dad has always pressed upon me, is being professional at all times. Being professional means maintaining your composure and staying poised and sticking to the game plan no matter what. So, no matter what he may do or say during the fight, more than likely that means I'm doing something right, and I'll just continue to do what I'm doing and what my corner's asking me to do.

“I'm not worried about it at all. I am who I am, and I get the job done.”

Porter is trained by his father, and Ken Porter isn’t as diplomatic as his son.

“Shawn's coming to knock Adrien's head off,” Ken Porter said. “He's in a real fight.”

The match has been portrayed as a battle between Broner’s speed and quickness, and Porter’s brute strength and physicality.

But the Porter camp doesn’t like that comparison because his handlers say it doesn’t reflect reality. Ken Porter, in particular, went to great lengths to insist his son is every bit as fast and as quick as Broner.

“Devon Alexander is one of the fastest boxers in boxing, period,” Ken Porter said. “I know that Manny Pacquiao is one of the fastest boxers in boxing. I know that Andre Dirrell is one of the fastest boxers in this sport. Shawn has been able to compete against those types of guys in professional fights, in sessions, in camps.

“We don't have a problem with anyone's speed. He's just as fast as anybody that comes in the ring with him, so when you talk about a guy's speed, that's not something we're concerned with. The problem that that guy will have to deal with is we're fast, and we've got power to come along with that.”

A win in Saturday’s fight, which is being contested at a maximum of 144 pounds at Broner’s request, would set Porter up for some big-money fights down the line.

He lost a lot of momentum with his loss to Brook. And while Porter failed to adjust in that fight and didn’t look great, it well may be a case of Brook being that good.

One of the things that has characterized Mayweather’s career is how seriously he’s prepared for every opponent. And he sounded a warning to Broner:

Be prepared, or be prepared to deal with the consequences.

“Shawn Porter is a really solid competitor,” Mayweather said. “It's not an easy task for Adrien. He's going to have to fight.”

No one in the Porter camp is underestimating Broner, though.

But the one thing Porter’s side knows to be true that hasn’t always been true about Broner is that Porter has done everything he can do to prepare properly.

Now, it’s a matter of keeping cool and executing the game plan.

If he does that, Porter will find himself in the rarefied air of the welterweight elite.