Is Shawn Porter being unreasonable?
The welterweight contender reportedly has balked at $1 million to challenge titleholder Terence Crawford, claiming Bob Arum, Crawford’s promoter, is “lowballing” him. Arum responded by saying he won’t go higher.
Porter was guaranteed $2 million for his split-decision loss against beltholder Errol Spence Jr. in September 2019, according to Yahoo Sports. Forbes reported that Porter was guaranteed $1 million when he took Danny Garcia’s 147-pound title in September 2018 and $1.25 million when he outpointed Yordenis Ugas in a non-title fight in March 2019.
“I’m not taking a million,” Porter said on The Porter Way Podcast. “I’ve done the best I could in sending a message to Bob Arum and I also know people who know Bob.
“I’ve told them, ‘Tell Mr. Arum, I don’t mean any disrespect, and I know he doesn’t. If you’re going to lowball me, don’t do it. If you feel that’s how 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. F a million dollars.’ I’m going to keep it as clean as possible, but I’m not fighting Terence Crawford for 1 million dollars.”
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Arum said on Barbershop Conversations that he won’t budge in light of the economic circumstances resulting from COVID-19.
“I read some place that he felt that I insulted him by only offering him a million dollars,” Arum said. “I’m old fashioned. I don’t know why a million dollars would be an insult to anybody. He should work a deal with me on upside.
“I’m not guaranteeing more than a million collars, I’m just not, not in these times.”
Porter (31-3, 17 KOs) is coming off a shutout decision victory over Sebastian Formella on Aug. 22.
Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) last fought on Nov. 14, when he stopped Kell Brook in the fourth round.
Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter pound for pound, who won his belt in June 2018, has had difficulty luring an elite opponent into the ring in part because he and the other top 147-pounders are affiliated with competing outlets.