Porter rejects “lowball” offer to fight Crawford

WBO mandatory challenger Shawn Porter says Top Rank needs to make a better offer if they want him to challenge WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

“I’m not taking a million,” said Porter on his podcast. “I did the best I could to send a message to Bob Arum and I also know people who know Bob and I told them ‘Tell Mr. Arum I don’t mean any disrespect and I know that he doesn’t, but if you’re gonna lowball me, don’t do it! If you feel that’s the way you get out of fighting me, that’s weak. Don’t do it! However, if you want to make the fight happen, don’t lowball me. I’m worth more than a million dollars.’

“Eff a million dollars. I’m gonna keep it as clean as possible but I’m not fighting Terence Crawford for a million dollars!”

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  • I really like porter. He’s a guy who fights anyone and deserves a good payday. But I just can’t forget years ago when I worked as a garbage man for 100$ dollars a day and don’t have any sympathy for him ‘only’ being offered a million dollars.

    • One theory to suggest is if Porter was very confident he could beat Crawford, why not take the $1 million and have bragging rights you beat Crawford and set up a huge rematch for big cash!

      • Because who is confident in beating the best fighter in the world? I’m sure he believes he can win. That doesn’t mean you should risk a loss and brain damage on a lowball offer

        • He’s not even a champ and wants to call the shots? Eff a million dollars? Wow! Fighters would take that kind of pay any day. He’s delusional!

      • Doesn’t matter how “confident” he is. Even if Porter beats Crawford do you REALLY think the judges with crooked ass Arum hanging around will let Porter get the decision?

      • Jay: in previous fights, i wld rebuttal with Crawford doesnt hit hard enough to cause brain damage. Looking at his last few fights, i wld have to agree. He is looking stronger and stronger at that weight. It qld be a damn good fight though. Thats for sure

      • Also, as a boxer you are usually making far less than a hundred bucks a day. You have to sacrifice years and be super gifted to even have a chance to make a living as a boxer.

    • Were you getting punched in the head by the best boxer p4p while making $100 a day?

      • No, but he was handling toxic/contaminated waste which cause countless life threatening diseases as well as working around dangerous heavy machinery which have cost many people their limbs and far worse!

        Think about it!

    • You compare being a garbage man to a world-class athlete SMH? He puts his life on the line and makes the networks far more than that. Porter is the one guy at 147 who dodges nobody and isn’t afraid. Every other guy dodges someone at 147.

  • Looking over styles, Crawford would beat Porter in a chess match within the square ring. Porter has a bad habit of smothering his punches, holding, and hitting with minimal effects. Porter is very athletic that makes up for this bad habit. However, Porter cant hit anything, but air when the target is not in front of you. Porter would lose by a UD. Sorry, but this is my assessment.

  • The good news here is that they even made an offer. One side gives a little, the other side gives a little and HOPEFULLY we can have a fight. A “lowball” offer is better than a no offer at all.

  • I actually think porter has a 50/50 shot in this fight, but this “i’m not fighting for 1 million” shit is crazy. Is this what boxing has become? Take the fight, win, and get wayyyy more ??? Better yet, why is it even about money if your offered 7 figures? it should be about being able to beat what most people consider “#1 p4p”……..as much as i can respect Mayweather Jr’s skills, he ruined boxing with this shit…doing the same crap with tank davis as well…….

  • If Porter believes he can win, he’d take the 1 million in a heart beat, then he can command his purses afterwards. But he knows he may not win and wants a big payday incase of a defeat.

  • If the Porter fight happens, it will be the first time Crawford stepped up since fighting Horn.
    Porter in 12!.

  • i actually think porters style will really test Crawfish but the real question is how much does Porter have left in him? i mean 1 million and im sure a rematch clause(unlike dumb dumb Loma) would assure Porter of a huge payday just hope hes not talking his way out of the fight, Porters style is smothering high volume style and hes never been KOd so regardless how shifty Crawfish is i think he loses a UD to Showtime i see Crawfish ducking his mandatory or waiting for the WBO to bail him out and make some dude we have never heard a last minute mandatory lol

    • Porter’s “smothering” style is awful to watch. I think he gets hit much harder and cleaner that he has in his career. Only way he makes it to the final bell is if he goes into survival mode. He is not going to smother Crawford like that…… he’s going to eat serious leather.

      • I disagree I think Porter gives Crawford all he can handle, his style tires you with all the grappling. Porter is similar to Horn but far more advanced that’s not to say he wins but I think it’s a 50/50 fight, Crawford would be fighting a live dog not a weight drained Brook who hadn’t fought at welterweight in over 4 years.

    • I can see lots of y’all don’t understand boxing neither fighter has a big fan base so you have to get as much money as you can for every fight. Even if there’s a rematch clause that doesn’t ’t guarantee a huge purse the second time around. Arum has already said he’s paying Crawford more than what he’s getting in return, Porter is standing his ground same way Teo did when they lowballed him for the Loma bout. They had to up his purse and the fight was made!!!

  • I personally think Porter should take the million and see what he can do against Crawford. A win would greatly increase his earning power.

    He has greatly improved since his loss to Kell Brook. He is no longer just a brawler and mauler. He now mixes up his attack with boxing and brawling. He is not a threat to knock the top fighters out, but will give anyone a rough night. He still occasionally uses his head as a third weapon, so Crawford will have a lot to think about when he gets in the ring with Porter.

    If Crawford and Spence can’t agree to a fight soon, Porter would be my choice for Bud’s next fight. I normally don’t like to watch Porter fight, but I do feel he will test Crawford and may possibly win the decision.

    • We don’t know how much out of that million he actually gets, he knows that after all the deductions a million is not enough.

  • c mon shawn, whats wrong with you, take the freaking fight we want it, looks like you dont

  • Porter has provided a difficult time to all opponents, and he will present difficulties to Crawford. Crawford needs a solid 12 round challenge before facing Errol. If Arum is serious about letting Crawford get a true test against a Pit Bull opponent, then pay a deserving Porter more money.

  • Although, Poter might deserve just a Little more. He haz been spoiled by the money losing PBC.
    TOP RANK is Not in the money losing business.

    • Bob Arum claims PBC is losing money, but Al Haymon is a smart business man who’s been in the game for a long time you don’t do that by making dumb decisions. It sounds like Arum is salty due to his promotion company not having the success it once had. He has no major American stars which is affecting his earnings. He does have some talented young guys in his stable that I’m sure he hopes will become the next era of stars.

  • This, published on a day when tens of millions of Americans breathed a small sigh of relief at the news that a measly $600 would be coming their way to help them pay for basic things like food, clothing, shelter and health care. **** him. **** him right up the ass. Gently. With a chain saw.

  • Porter isn’t a puncher, but he can pressure a guy. I thought Porter outgrew 154 a long time ago. Anyway, Crawford should move up to 154 and look for some fights. Thurman is all that is left outside of Porter. Thurman lost close, but also, Mikey Garcia vs Crawford could have happened at lightweight years ago, and Mikey left Top Rank. Not sure what else is there for Crawford at 147, because Spence vs Crawford has to happen within the next 10 months, or forget about it. Vergil Ortiz Jr. is another top option fight at 147 for Crawford. You have to be a pretty good puncher to have a shot with Porter. And Danny Garcia is past his prime, plus should be up at 154 like Porter.

  • Porter melts down from 154 to make 147, and I really haven’t watched his fights closely since the Broner fight. He is #1 in the WBO at 147. If he doesn’t want to fight that champion, just tell the WBO to drop his rating. I don’t understand why Crawford is trying to lure Haymon fighters. The only one worth getting is Spence. Just offer him the big $ and try to make it happen within 6 months. If Thurman and Porter and Mikey Garcia really want to fight Crawford, let Crawford beat Spence first. But this is one of those fights getting tired of waiting for, like waiting for Mayweather vs Pacquiao forever. But, Spence did mess things up almost dying in that car crash. Lucky to still be on top with the IBF belt.

  • I think he has a career in broadcasting. Entertaining fighter but unfortunately no KO power. Just another UD for Crawford. Take the Million and run.

  • Porter has provided solid difficulties to all opponents, and in a losing effort, Porter will provide difficulties to Crawford. Before fighting Errol, Crawford needs a solid 12 round test against a Pit Bull named Porter.

    If Arum wants to see Crawford get a stern test before fighting Errol, then Arum should present a little more money to a deserving Porter.

  • Well I guess nobody here is that familiar with a fighter’s cut of a million dollar purse. He would be lucky to clear 350-400k for himself. Fighters in his class nowadays have maybe 2 fights a year. That’s not nearly enough for a fighter of his caliber. He’s 100% right. He’s a big name in the division and fought tooth and nail with Spence. It’s Arum that doesn’t want the fight. They know he would never accept that nor should he.

  • Porter is a tough fight for anyone; however, I don’t believe passing up a Million dollar payday makes any sense. Win and you can command the next payday. He’s attempting to shift the blame by calling the offer an insult.

    As I have mentioned before, Crawford’s ring IQ is second to none, and will make the difference in this fight too and I believe Porter recognizes this. Unfortunately if this fight happens, Porter will leave the ring with another L on his record and it may be in the form of a KO…

  • Porter’s style is not worth a million $$. His fights are always frustrating to watch. If Crawford vs Porter gets made, I’ll be highly disappointed.

    • would you rather watch Crawfish fight another unranked either has been or unknown??? Porter is a great test for him and for those who dont know Porter started his pro career as a supermiddleweight yikes

  • The low ball offer is merited. Porter has lost to both Spence and Thurman so for Crawford this is simply fighting a top opponent. Nothing more.

  • If you are so sure of beating Crawford than 1 million is a good, cause after that if you win you control the money. It proves that you doubt yourself and if you fight for more money and lose, well at least you’re well off…other boxers would fight for less in your place…

  • Arum does not want to invest in Crawford any more so we can’t really expect a generous offer.
    I get the comms re risking brain damage etc but you’re taking a risk each time you go out there. I’ve lost track with how much fighters/fights are worth but if Porter is confident of beating Bud then his team should make a counter offer.
    Bud has far more to lose in this fight and Porter would only be a name as he doesn’t bring any belts or anything. Realistically it would just be a yardstick for comparing how Spence and Bud got on vs the same foe.
    As for Bud , he should (if he gets paid out) probably stay a free agent and work with whoever offers him the better fights/money.
    Bob Arum’s attitude towards him seems strange as I don’t remember Bud saying anything bad about Arum despite not being delivered the best fights. Maybe if you can’t make it work , promoting the number1 or 2 £4£ guy in the world then you need to look at yourself as a promoter.

  • One million is a bit on the low side. He made 2 plus against Spence, but he did have a title at the time. Against Thurman and Garcia he made around a million. Crawford made 3.5 million (with about estimated 5.5 million in total when you consider upside). Brook made 2 million against Crawford (not sure about any upside there). I think anywhere in the 1.5-2.5 million is in “fair” territory. Considering the last big fight was a loss to Spence (a competitive, close fight, but with a clear winner) and he’s beltless, I don’t think anything more than that is reasonable. This is especially true considering how abysmal boxing viewership has been.

    • The offer maybe on the low side. However, when you look at the bigger picture 1 Million $$ is good money for as you state a belt-less ranked fighter. Win the title then your in the drivers seat.

      I look that this as the initial offer and a starting point, don’t just complain, counter the offer as you state with a “reasonable” offer and expect to negotiate a fair deal.

      Styles make fights and this fight would be interesting for 3 or 4 rounds.Then Crawford downloads the data gathered and executes to perfection.

  • I guess Porter just wants his share of the pie, cant blame him for that.

    Looking at it another way, I reckon fans get charged too much and the top echelon of fighters get paid too much.

    The average wage in the USA is < $60K,
    which takes 16 years to earn 1 Million.
    Kind of puts it into perspective.

    Sure you should get a decent payday (danger money) for getting hit around the head, but no amount of money is going to buy you new braincells.

  • Arum is lowballing agree. He would rather have Crawford fight an aging Pacman.

  • You see what is going on with Al Haymon Fighters. They talk a lot about fighting the best but when the opportunity arrives they price themselves out of the fight. I n reality it’s Al Haymon who calls all the shots and he will not allow any of his fighters to face Crawford. He is just too dangerous.

  • I love how all these out of shape couch potatoes are like “I would take the 1 million, I only make $100 as a garbage man.”

    Bruh, there’s a huge economic and value difference between a top flight fighter and a garbage man. Don’t get it twisted.

    • 36 minutes for 1 million dollars a garbage man works his entire career for that amount and nobody even knows or cares who he is… You tell me who is getting a raw deal.. Afro-CANT

  • I say take 1 million and stfu. “Covid” is killing sports. As you will soon see.. With no people showing up.. No gate fees… No ticket sales… The money for sports will dry up.. That will sound like a good deal later. Not to mention people losing interest in sports because of all going on with their own personal finances.

  • Hopefully Porter can buy a new suit, one that isn’t too tight no matter how much he gets paid.

  • I agree with some of y’all Crawford throw out the resume he beats anyone from 140 to 147 he can box he can punch with power and he size guys up and the switch up on the from right to southpaw ain’t nobody can beat Crawford but himself but his resume none of the PBC fighters nobody this guy has all the skills you would want a boxer to have so some off y’all not all can keep debating Crawford would clean 147 out if he could just like he did at 140 he’s just that darn good P4P

  • Yeah, that’s a BS offer. I’m sure Porter made more than a million dollars to fight all the other names at 147. Him and Crawford is a big fight and the best opponent that the Nebraskan has faced yet.

  • It,s not about a million. Porter has shown how good he is and deserves half of what Crawford would be earning

  • Spence should grow a set of balls and agree to fight Crawford with a 60/40 purse split with the winner getting the 60%. However, Spence won’t do that until he is sure that Crawford has slowed down a bit more with age.

  • why AB got 3millions fighting pacman….pay porter his money what he deservs. he is pain in the ass fighter every A class fighters.

  • First the question should be asked by all, and mainly Mr. Porter, how much would this fight gross. Of course, he won’t get all of that million, after having to pay others, he might come with somewhere between 350 to 500 thousand. If some have statistics on how his match with Errol Spence went, as well as with the box office, maybe they can show why he deserves far more than a million. But now, also with the Pandemic, still not over, it might at this time not be the big grosser that some might think.

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