Shawn Porter wants Shakur Stevenson to steer clear of a fight with Conor Benn. The former welterweight champion's advice comes after Stevenson agreed to face Benn in November.
Stevenson put on a masterclass against William Zepeda in his last fight. He stayed in the pocket and countered the pressure fighter, addressing criticism about his recent performances not being fan-friendly.
After the win, Stevenson appeared on the Ariel Helwani Show and verbally agreed to fight Benn at 147 lbs. This would mean jumping up two weight classes from his current 135 lbs.
Porter, who has championship experience at welterweight and recently sparred with Benn, shared his thoughts with FightHype.
"It shouldn't be to move up and challenge Conor Benn. He can outbox Conor, he can out-style and all that kind of stuff, but that's a different punch than the 35, 30, 26 punch. It is. Your body can withstand getting hit on the shoulders, the arms and stuff like that, but a 47 pound punch on your arms and your shoulders, that's a little bit different."
Porter believes a unification bout with Gervonta Davis makes more sense for all parties. However, Davis' recent arrest and previous plans to rematch Lamont Roach Jr might complicate matters.
Benn had been looking to rematch Chris Eubank Jr after their fight of the year contender in April. Those plans now seem unlikely to happen.
Stevenson will need to carefully consider his next move. The power at welterweight is indeed different, and it might be wise to heed Porter's warning before making such a significant jump in weight.
