Shawn Porter came back strong from his first career loss with a fifth round knockout of last-minute replacement Erick Boné tonight on Premier Boxing Champions, closing hard when he got a chance on a game opponent who had landed some good shots and was making a solid fight of it.
Porter (25-1-1, 16 KO) had to feel out Boné (16-2, 8 KO) in the early going, but it was clear that the former titleholder had a distinct power advantage even in the first couple of rounds. Boné, though, was landing some nice counter shots and even backed Porter down on a couple of occasions, using Porter's recklessness and aggression to his advantage.
What made the real difference was good, old fashioned body work, as Porter was able to slam heavy shots into Boné's midsection, which eventually dropped him in round five. It did appear as though Boné may have twisted his ankle on a slip moments before, leaving him vulnerable, but that happens sometimes, and Porter took advantage as he should have.
Though Boné got up from the first knockdown, Porter smelled blood, locked in, and poured on the pressure, pummeling the underdog to the canvas once again. Jack Reiss counted the 10, and the fight was over.
"I felt the body punches going in, I knew he was getting hurt. I knew it was gonna get him out. We focused on that in the gym," Porter said.
This was a solid comeback effort for Porter, who hadn't fought since August when he lost to Kell Brook. He intended to fight a more well-known opponent, got a last-minute substitute who came to fight, and did his job. The loss to Brook doesn't seem to have shaken his confidence at all, as he looked every bit the same as he did before that defeat.