Preview: Premier Boxing Champions on Spike

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Spike TV makes its foray into the boxing realm on Friday night with a double main event from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. With Bellator MMA and Glory World Series already in the fold, “Premier Boxing Champions” could prove to be a worthwhile addition to the lineup in the network’s quest to establish itself as an end-of-week destination for all things combat sports.

Shawn Porter (24-1, 15 KOs) vs. Roberto Garcia (36-3, 23 KOs)

The Matchup: As a rising star in the division, Porter’s name had been mentioned as a potential foe for pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. leading up to his August 2014 showdown with Kell Brook. While such a notion might have been farfetched at best, any notion of a lucrative future payday against “Money” disappeared in a disappointing unanimous decision defeat.

The fight itself was not a thing of beauty, as Porter struggled to maintain proper distance, which allowed Brook to smother him in the clinch repeatedly. And while neither man put together much in the way of noteworthy offense, Brook had enough success landing his jab and countering to get the nod from the judges.

Now, Porter is looking to recapture the momentum he previously built in signature triumphs over Devon Alexander and Paulie Malignaggi. A fight against Mayweather may not be at stake, but if all goes well against Garcia, Porter has expressed interest in making a quick turnaround for a spot on the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard in May.

Garcia is the less celebrated of the two welterweights, but he enters the bout on an eight-fight winning streak and currently has the type of stability, both in his personal life and his career, that makes him focused and dangerous. Garcia notably went the distance in a loss to Antonio Margarito in 2010, and a sturdy chin has allowed him to make it through 39 career appearances overall without suffering a knockout defeat. While Garcia has competed at higher weights in the past, he is best suited for welterweight.

When Porter bested Alexander and Malignaggi, he was assertive in the ring and gradually wore his opponents down. He has a solid jab and is capable of landing hard, fast combinations once he establishes a rhythm. While Porter is a decent size for the weight class, he is not necessarily a knockout artist. Instead, he often wins fights on his aggression and will. Getting off first before Garcia can get going will be a key.

Garcia relies on a straightforward approach, and it is evident in his style that he is more fighter than boxer. Porter will not have enough of a size and reach advantage to simply beat Garcia from the outside, so it is likely that this will come down to which man can get the better of close quarters exchanges. However, Porter appears to be the fighter more capable of adopting a technical approach to outbox his opponent.

The Pick: Expect Garcia to hang tough, but Porter will gradually assert his will during exchanges as the bout progresses. He wins via unanimous decision.

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