Aggressive pressure fighter Shawn Porter won two versions of the welterweight title in the 2010s.

Porter, who was the third youngest of four children, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 20, 1987. He doesn’t remember a time when boxing wasn't a part of his life.

"I started boxing when I was 5 years old. I was boxing before I was really in school," Porter told The Ring. "I think that was largely my dad's way that we stayed on the straight and narrow.

“I was probably closer to being 10 or 11 before I really understood what it was what I was doing, before that I was competing for trophies. I never really liked to watch it."

Having started so young, it's not surprising Porter had a successful amateur career. He won the 2004 Pan American Cadets, silver at the 2006, '07 and '08 US National Championships, represented the U.S. at the World Junior Championships in 2006, collected gold at the Golden Gloves in 2007 and lost at the semi-final stage of the 2008 Olympic trials to Daniel Jacobs.

However, he owns wins over Jacobs, Demetrius Andrade and Oleksandr Usyk during his amateur days.

"I fought Oleksandr Usyk at 75KG and I fought Oleksandr Usyk that just wasn't as good as he is now,” he recalled. "That fight was 4 two-minute round fight, and we fought with a computer point system.

"The pace was much different; it was a very fast amateur pace. I do know the points were very close the whole way. I think there was a one or two point spread after the first three rounds, and I think I ended up pulling ahead in the last round and because of a big right hand that I landed on him and only won the fight by like two points."

Boxing wasn't the only sport Porter competed in and in high school, he was a talented American Football player.

"I think I was a senior in high school, and I had gotten plenty of letters from schools," he said. "I was going through my senior year; it was just such a bad year for my team that it really put a negative mindset.

"I felt you had to depend on 10 other guys to do their job, and I went to my dad, and I told him, 'It's just me and you, I know what you're going to do, and I know what I'm going to do.' I said, 'Let's go.' I think he was pleasantly surprised that I decided not to go and play football."

Porter, who went 276-14 as an amateur, turned professional against Norman Johnson in Salisbury, Maryland, in October 2008.

"A lot of people see I weighed in at 165 pounds, we had planned to turn pro at 154 pounds and the guy they had for me decided not to show up for the fight, so they brought someone else in and that guy was in the 60s and they knew that in order to make, the fight the commission would need to see that I was in the 60s," he said. "I weighed in with clothes on and stuff in my pockets and I was 164 pounds.

"I ordered new boxing stuff which didn't turn up until the day of the fight which was fun and worrisome to some degree. They put me in there with someone I had never seen before, didn't know who he was, that didn't really matter because you go through the tournaments and never know who you're going to fight. I remember the bell rang and I had this feeling over me, 'Wow, I'm actually fighting.' We meet in the center of the ring, and I start doing my thing and that fight lasted less than a minute."

Over the next couple of years, Porter worked his way down to junior middleweight and then welterweight.

However, his father, Kenny, could see they needed to up their game, so he pivoted and give his son a look at the upper echelons of the sport.

"We went out to L.A. to basically audition to be a sparring partner [for Manny Pacquiao] when he fought Miguel Cotto and Freddie Roach liked me,” he said. “I'm pretty sure my dad said at the Wild Card, 'Do you know who Manny Pacquiao is?' I said, 'Not really.' He said, 'You better look him up, you better watch him on YouTube.' And that's what I did."

He scored useful wins over fellow prospect Ray Robinson (UD 10) and Contender Alumni Alfonso Gomez (UD 10). Around that time, he became a little stale and was going through the motions which was apparent when he was held to a draw by former two-time IBF lightweight boss Julio Diaz (D 10).

Porter returned with a win over fellow unbeaten Phil Lo Greco (UD 10) and bested Diaz (UD) in a rematch. That lead to a fight with IBF welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, in December 2013.

"I had enough people counting me out, not believing I would beat Devon Alexander, I understand people knew him more than me and he had done some relatively good things before I had come along," said Porter, who won a 12-round unanimous decision. "That was enough to get me going to want to not just fight but beat him and look good doing it. After that fight there was a moment, 'Well, you're really here now. There's no turning back.'"

While winning the title is many fighters end game it was just the next step for Porter.

"I was accomplishing everyone else's goal, I didn't understand what it was to be a world champion," he admitted. "It was a part of the growth process for me. At one point it was turn pro, make money, get a belt, make money, we understand a belt means we can make more money. What I started to realize that there's a level of respect and appreciate that's comes with winning world titles, it gave me a sense of accomplishment and liked the responsibility of being a world champion, I kind of felt that instantly and that's where the maturation started from."

Porter beat former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi (TKO 4) in his lone defense before being upset by Kell Brook in August 2014.

"Prior to fighting Kell, we just sharpened my skills and went to the ring in every fight feeling as if what I have is so much better, it doesn't matter," he said of his learning curve. "After Kell I realized game planning is essential. A basic jab is what won him that fight against me."

He returned with a win over Erick Bone (TKO 5). Which set up a big all-Ohio showdown with the talented but ill-disciplined Adrien Broner (UD 12) in June 2015.

"Knowing Broner from the amateurs, practically our entire lives, we knew what other people didn't know. We knew he wasn't as strong, fast, sharp, not as smart and I think we showed all of that on fight night," said Porter, who got off the canvas in the final round to outwork Broner by 12-round unanimous decision. "I think my ring IQ goes under the radar because I fought at such a fast pace, but people don't realize I thought at a fast pace as well. How I support that is if you say there's an Adrien Broner out there who has a higher ring IQ than Shawn Porter, if you really go and watch that fight, I wasn't on top of him every single round, it took a level of IQ to make him miss his first shot, make him miss his first counter shot and I think that's one of those fights a lot of people revere that fight simply because he was a showman and I wasn't. The good guy versus the bad guy and I won."

That win landed him a shot at WBA welterweight titlist Keith Thurman (UD 12) in June 2016.

"The crazy thing about that fight is I didn't even care or know about the world championship, I cared about giving Keith his first loss, that was the only thing that mattered to me," said Porter, who lost 7 rounds to 5 on all three scorecards. "I've heard a lot of people say he had an east coast judging friendly style and I didn't, and I think that's very unfair. I think judging all around the world should be the same. I think all judges should be looking for one thing and I think there should be one criteria and I think that is one of the things that played its role in me losing that fight. I see Keith all the time and he's a fantastic athlete and human being."

Two wins positioned him for a second title tilt, this time for the vacant WBC title against former two-weight world champion Danny Garcia in September 2018.

"My fight with Danny, we had a great game plan, X's and O's down and it worked," he said of claiming his second world title by 12-round unanimous decision.

"That WBC meant a whole lot. I had gone to a WBC convention and got a good taste of what the WBC was and especially knowing my favorite fighter Marvelous Marvin Hagler had that belt, it was kind of like, I have to have to have that.”

Porter edged home against Yordenis Ugas (SD 12) before dropping the title to IBF counterpart Erol Spence Jr. (SD 12) in a unification in September 2019.

He stayed relevant by dominating Sebastian Formella (UD 12) and then faced three division titleholder and reigning WBO boss, Terence Crawford at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, in November 2021

"What happened in the Crawford fight, I fought at a slower pace and continued the slower pace throughout the fight, he picked it up, I wasn't able to pick it up with him, that's how he ended up beating me," he explained.

That proved to be the final fight of Porter's career.

"I'm glad I came around when it was a very vibrant weight class, it was a very competitive weight class,” said Porter (31-4-1, 17 knockouts).

"It was the timing and the fact I was signed with the right promotional company, that had all the of the guys."

Porter, now 37, is married with three sons and lives in Las Vegas. He works as a boxing commentator on various platforms and even recently went to Philadelphia to spar with IBF welterweight titlist Jaron Ennis. He has his own podcast called 'The PorterWay'. Outside of boxing, he has launched a suit line that is entering department stores.

He graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

Kell Brook: "He had a strong jab, and he had a great game plan. His game plan was to catch me with that jab on the way in, smother me, so I couldn't get off on him - it worked to a tee."

Nobody: "That's a great question. Umm, I was able to really get off on everybody. If you think of some of the guys I fought who were known for defense, two specifically, Paulie Malignaggi and Devon Alexander. Neither of them could keep me off 'em. Maybe Crawford, nah, he didn't use his feet in an amazing way that kept me off him. He didn't move his head in an amazing way that kept me off him. He didn't even block my punches. I can't say there was a fighter that had the best defense. I feel like I was me in every fight."

Terence Crawford: "That might be Terence Crawford because I do know the few punches, he put me down with, I didn't even see 'em [Laughs] I helped him, I put myself in harm's way, but those punches were fast. Devon and Paulie were known for their speed, but they didn't [impress me.]"

Keith Thurman: "Keith knew how to slide out, get away from you. I think if there was anyone, I specifically fought that knew how to use their feet, it was Keith Thurman."

Crawford: "Smartest fighter I've ever been in the ring with. His reputation was that he downloads information, it takes some rounds to learn you and then does what he needs to get you out of there. I didn't see that. I didn't see him downloading information and I think another thing, I was so good at a lot of things, I think I kept him trying to figure me out and then he changed something, and it was the most simple thing, he said, 'I'm going to go get him.' And as he comes to get me, we see what happened. Let me tell you why he's the smartest fighter I've been in the ring with. He thinks at a high level, I felt like I was outthinking him and all of a sudden, he knows what I'm going to do. Early in the fight, I think I was boxing a little better, a little more energy and things of that nature but I've never been in the ring with a fighter I couldn't manipulate amateur or pro, except Terence Crawford."

Errol Spence Jr.: "It was Errol and Terence, but I would say Errol, he was sturdy. Funny thing with Errol, when I punched him, he came right back. A lot of guys, like Keith, he was always trying to find moments, and I was all over Keith, whereas Errol was like, 'OK, we're gonna fight.' I was forcing him to fight but he didn't backdown and he could standup to what I was giving him; he was strong enough."

Danny Garcia: "I thought I was going to break Danny down mentally and then I was going to break him down physically. I broke him down a little mentally, I didn't break him down at all physically. That kid's strong. I know his last fight he didn't really show it."

Crawford: "I like to call them thumpers, fighters that punch hard. The three that really thumped me, Danny Garcia, Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford. I can't put them in order but the two fighters who put me down Errol Spence and Terence Crawford. It has to be Crawford because he stopped me."

Crawford: "That's between Keith and Terence and I think I would have to go with Terence, a more natural boxer - God-gifted. Keith really homed in and created a style for himself."

Crawford: "That would be Terence. I've never been in the ring with anyone who could do all the things I could. When we fought, Usyk was a southpaw, a tall rangy counter puncher, he wasn't a dig to the body type of guy. He's a well-rounded fighter but he can't do everything, Terence can do everything, I could do everything, and I've never been in the ring with somebody, who had it all. That's what makes him the best fighter I've been in the ring with."

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk and you can follow him on X @AnsonWainwr1ght.