Fallsnewspress.com - Porter survives tough opponent to improve to 13-0

by Frank Aceto

Associate Sports Editor

Shawn Porter took one squarely on the chin.

He struggled for a moment and then got his senses in order against a very difficult challenger.

Shawn, who has been dominating opponents for quite some time, knew this painful moment would come soon enough.

He recovered beautifully.

Shawn, 22, improved to 13-0 on the professional circuit after scoring a unanimous decision against Russell Jordan of Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 19 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland.

The Stow-Munroe Falls graduate took some shots during the early stages of the fight before returning to his dominant self in the latter rounds.

Shawn, a world champion on the amateur level, earned his first professional belt. The 154-pound phenom secured the WBO NABO light middleweight championship.

Shawn, however, had to overcome the most frightening moment of his professional career.

Shawn took a nasty shot that caught him completely off-guard during the early stages of the fight.

"He wobbled Shawn a little bit," Shawn's father and trainer Ken Porter said. "Shawn made a mistake. He kept his hands down."

Jordan, a seasoned veteran who has fought several quality opponents, made Shawn work harder than he ever had in the ring.

In fact, prior to his bout with Jordan, Porter never went longer than four rounds against any opponent -- amateur or professional.

"That's the toughest guy I've faced in a long time," Shawn said. "He could take some punches."

Shawn was considered the heavy favorite to win the fight. Shawn's father, however, thought Jordan was an extremely skilled fighter.

"The guys he lost to had a combined 171 wins and only four losses," Ken said. "He was a lot tougher than people gave him credit for."

Once it was over, Shawn couldn't get over what he accomplished. Sure, he's won prestigious titles before. But this one felt a little different.

"It's unbelievable," Shawn said. "I showcase it [the belt] everywhere. I've had so many people want to take pictures with me. It's amazing."

Shawn also wore a special pair of shoes he got from an old friend.

"When I was training with [world champion] Manny Pacquiao, I saw he had a nice pair of red Nike Pac-Man shoes," Shawn said. "I said, 'Pac-Man, I have to get a pair of those shoes.' He was going to order them for me, but since I had to leave town right away, he gave me his. It's one of my prized possessions."

Porter's bout against Jordan can be seen on espn.com/boxing.

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