Porter beats Garcia, earns crown again

Inside Shawn Porter’s gym there’s a wall that reads “2X world champion” next to his picture.

That was a false fact for two years. It became a reality Saturday night.

Four years after losing his first world title, Porter is again a welterweight champion after defeating Danny Garcia by unanimous decision (116112, 115-113, 115-113) for the vacant WBC title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“I knew he was going to be accurate,” Porter said during the postfight interview. “The game plan for me was to be accurate from the outside and show that I can win without roughing him up. We were ready for his hooks and wild right hands.”

Porter started the first three rounds by fighting at a distance, but that’s not the type of fighter he is.

The Las Vegas resident took over during the middle rounds when he attacked from the inside.

His relentless body work didn’t allow Garcia to utilize his punching power.

Porter wore green throughout the week because it’s been his goal for many years to hoist the prestigious green WBC belt.

“Green is my favorite color,” Porter said last month. “It’s always been my dream to get that WBC belt and be part of that family of greats who have had that belt.”

Porter lost the IBF welterweight title to Kell Brook in 2014.

In 2016, Porter got another title shot but lost to Keith Thurman.

He became so obsessed with winning a second title that he requested to have the factual error next to his picture when his Las Vegas gym opened two years ago. Porter was confident he was going to reach the top again.

With his goal accomplished, Porter now has an abundance of big fights from which to choose. A rematch with Thurman could be next, or a unification bout versus IBF titlist Errol Spence.

Frank Franklin II The Associated Press Shawn Porter, right, punches Danny Garcia during the fifth round of a WBC welterweight championship boxing match Saturday in New York. Porter won the vacant title.