Adrian Granados often found himself drawn into Shawn Porter’s kind of fight. The stronger and sharper Porter dictated the action, landing the cleaner and more effective shots, frequently trapping Granados against the ropes. In the end, Porter earned a unanimous decision victory in their 12-round welterweight clash on the Deontay Wilder vs. Bermane Stiverne undercard at Barclays Center. Judges Julie Lederman, Kevin Morgan, and John Stewart all scored the bout identically at 117–111 in favor of Porter, who delivered a convincing performance in a fight that still had its share of exciting exchanges.
With the win, Porter of Akron, Ohio, improved his record to 28–2–1, while Granados of Cicero, Illinois, fell to 18–6–2, suffering his first unanimous decision loss in his nine-year professional career.
After the fight, the former IBF welterweight champion told Showtime’s Jim Gray that he broke his left hand in the sixth round, limiting his offense for the remainder of the bout.
“He gave me some trouble at times,” Porter said. “I hurt my left hand in the sixth, but I kept using it as much as I could. By the 10th round, I couldn’t really throw it anymore. The plan was to stick with the jab. I knew he’d come forward in spurts, so I stayed prepared and dug deep to pull out the win.
Scoring with the punches on the exit, just popped, Granado's head back with the left hand and Granado's valiantly trying to fight his way off the ropes.
Please welcome the game and respected WBC number 11 ranked super lightweight world contender, introducing Adrian Antione.
Please welcome the current WBC number 1 ranked contender, here is the popular former IBF welterweight champion of the world, introducing Showtime, Joe!
Protect yourselves at all times and most importantly obey my commands at all times. Touch gloves, bang on the bell, God bless.
Those sentiments Al, two tremendous ambassadors of the sport you have, he's fighting from your hometown of Chicago, he's in black and silver.
If I was rooting and not be...
Both of them coming off fights with former four division champion Adrian Bromner, Granado's losing a hotly contested fight.
Granado's is doing now, or see if he can get some punches in, there's good nice uppercuts by, left hooks by Granado's.
They're wrestling and trying to jockey for position, Granado's attacking the body.
Step jab from Porter.
Granado's trying to counter him as he comes in and did a little bit there.
Man these two are throwing punches and bunches, a frenetic start here.
Porter I think he's just trying to close range and try to get something in there before he gets...
This is Porter with the overhand right that gets in.
Adrian Granado's has been down six times in his career always by right hand.
Porter looks to flash the jab.
And four, four left hooks by Porter.
And he continues to rip away at the body of Granado's with that left hand.
Attack of Porter coming in, oh my nice counter right by Granado's.
They both the right hand is a little sharper.
And Porter creates separation doing a good job of bobbing and weaving and landing some punches of his own.
You know that in microcosm is what Sean Porter fights are all about.
Porter and Granado pops him with a punch, a minute left here in round number two.
Granado's trying to navigate his way forward, gets off of that right.
Another counter left hook by Granado's.
They try to fight out of the clinch and Porter just putting it on.
And Granado's left uppercut just misses with the right uppercut on the inside.
Getting a few punches in.
Oh and at the bell, Granado's was clipped by the right hand.
Just stares at Porter and well...
11 gained valuable experience.
And now Granado's hunting down as Porter just using his footwork to turn the tables on him.
Sure is as we thought it would be.
There's Porter unloading the left hooks and the right hand upstairs.
Granado's coming back with some short right.
He's going to make this a fight.
Well there's Granado's.
Posture.
But then you got to decide who's landing and it's a tough job for the judges.
Porter seems to be scoring with the punches on the exit just popped.
Granado's head back with a left.
He comes with nice flurries too.
Yes, precisely.
Granado's is shot to short on the inside.
Left hand by Porter.
And God knows Adrian Granado's has been outtalked.
Great left hook upstairs by Sean Porter.
Granado's smothering and now clinching.
That's part of his weaponry.
Yes, he's mentally trying to break you as well as physically.
That's counter left hook by Granado's there.
Granado's trying to stay busy in the clinch and again a left and right by the...
Figure that one out.
We'll be here all night.
Yeah.
Probably all year.
I'll tell you, Granado's keeps giving good performances at 147.
Even if he's not able to come out winning.
You never know if your mom wins that 145 title.
Porter connecting now upstairs.
An eighth round of TKO in November of 2015.
We are through four rounds here as Granado's mauls Porter.
In the final seconds of round four.
Granado's jabbing to the body.
Another left hook clipping the jaw of Granado's.
Porter's found a good home for that left hook.
Should the referee be more involved with his offense?
Or is it what it is?
Sean definitely leads him with his head and it does create headbutts.
And a lot of times because the shots are so loopy they wind up behind your head.
It's part of his style.
Oh, good shot there.
He's a difficult guy to deal with.
But referees have a hard time controlling him.
Granado's trying to control the real estate.
Walking down Porter.
Nice right hand by Granado.
Granado's response to his mother who's in the crowd tonight.
Then eats a shot from Porter.
He's entertaining.
No right hand but then a right uppercut by Granado.
That's a good shot.
That's some shot that can't be shoot from.
I tell you when Porter shows his jab it's good.
There it is again.
Greco-Roman boxing match.
You start talking about it.
There's a counter on the jab.
It's there when he uses it.
140 pounder.
Oh my.
What a shot by Granado.
What a right hand and maybe if he was a filled out 147 that would have had a different effect.
Yeah, see why.
Granado's a tough man in there.
Good shot by Porter.
Nice right hand by Porter there.
There's no middle gear.
There's either a fifth gear or a first gear.
And again Granado's on the ropes.
Get it in against him.
Granado said he got notice about five weeks ahead of time for this close decision to Calbrook to lose the title.
And then in what was a 2016 Fight of the Year a razor sharp decision loss against Keith Thurman here at Barclays.
And Porter working out attacking the body.
Upstairs and downstairs.
I think Porter hasn't got enough of that.
He's actually chasing him like always.
The ball chasing the matador.
Manning the matador against the ropes.
Stunned Porter more than it did.
And we'll take another look at it.
Excellent right hand.
A lead right hand.
And you know Porter's known for having a terrific chin.
He's only been down one time.
If you watch neither of these guys really disguised their entrance.
Right hand by Porter.
Thanks a lot Steve.
And you know what?
That's tried and true scoring methods.
Three punch combination lands for Porter.
Unwinds with the right hand that just misses.
But right now both guys still have that fighting spirit in them.
Granado's on the ropes.
Keeping that jab in there.
But again the gutsy Granado's fighting off.
Backing off Porter.
That was a good right hand by Granado.
Robbing and weaving it.
And we talk about oh good right hand by Porter.
Yeah that was a great experience in his life he said.
And helped build a foundation in boxing.
Looping left hand connected for Granado's.
And a lot many of them watching here today.
Hoping he can get a big win for himself.
Porter had a lengthy amateur career.
And under the tutelage of his father Ken Porter.
He looks to open up here.
Well why not?
Porter tackled.
In the center of the ring.
Oh right hand.
The back of Granado's neck.
Porter's trying to find a home for that right hand.
Yeah.
Two and one past seven rounds tends to wear people down.
Yes he does.
We saw the power shots there favoring Porter.
Final minute of round eight.
Porter using some footwork to escape the attack of Granado's.
Granado's just lunging with those right hands.
Really hoping he can get one in that makes a difference.
And yet he puts up such a valiant fight along those ropes.
He does.
Manages to escape.
In there against Adrian Granado's.
And Porter now unloading the left hand against Granado's on the ropes.
And again Granado's absorbs the punishment.
But desperately tries to fight back.
Yeah Sean Porter throws really nice short compact good punches in there.
Because of all the brawling sometimes he gets lost.
But look at the good work he's doing there.
Under 30 seconds left in the ninth.
Oh left hook!
Caught Adelson.
He just stood there taking it.
That was because Granado's feet were switched around.
You know he was kind of coming forward crossing his feet.
He wasn't set on his defense.
Good shot by both.
By both Porter and Granado's.
Here in Brooklyn.
John Porter doing some excellent work.
There's the lead right hand.
And then comes with that left hook.
And again that's a very compact left hook.
He will get the lead right in.
And then right away comes with this left hand.
Again half hook half jab.
You know Sean in Porter was a guy who prides himself on making you really uncomfortable.
In spots has looked uncomfortable because of Granado's tonight.
Granado's working the body while Porter targets upstairs.
Physical fight, a rough fight, a brawl kind of fight.
Granado's doesn't have that style.
He'll oblige you with a rough kind of fight.
Now the exchange along the ropes.
Porter leans forward.
Catches a couple of punches from Granado's.
Bobbing and weaving.
Porter unloading now.
Oh and he catches him with a left hook.
I'm the one who's supposed to make guys uncomfortable.
Oh what a hook by Porter.
Another left hook and a jab.
But you're right Granado's is doing his best imitation of Porter in that regard.
The advantages he's blessed with to try to control Granado's attack.
We're heading to the championship round.
It's been a good one.
An opportunity to fight Keith Thurman for his 147 pound title.
You know the last segment of this fight, the last couple of minutes,
Granado's has done some very nice work.
When your fight is dirty it's Sean Porter fights.
You can't complain about the other guy being dirty.
So that's where I tell you you're bullying the bully now.
90 seconds into this 11th round.
Pushing by Murphree is starting to really annoy me.
I mean he constantly does it.
He does it more to Granado's.
Porter's been less responsive this round.
Now he's trying to get in there.
Trying to keep him low.
Curious to see how Porter comes out.
Maybe he took the round off in the 11th.
I think he's trying to put Porter on that back foot.
He's trying to let him know I'm bossing him.
Because Porter, you have to understand the psychology of Porter.
He's usually the physical boss in the fight.
So if I'm showing you I'm the boss.
Trying to find him.
And again, Porter just leaning in.
Short right hand but it's Granado's that's emptying his arsenal.
Majority decision. He's also had split decisions, his draws.
Guy's been in close, close fights throughout his career.
And again it's just Granado's locking down Porter.
Alley here with 45 seconds left.
You know Granado's have a hard time landing these punches.
He's pushed Porter back but that was a nice right hand.
That was a right hand by Porter landed.
And then Granado sticks the jab.
Precisely.
Final seconds of the fight.
Competitive affair.
Granado proves his mettle once again in a fight
a lot of people didn't think he had a chance in.
You bet.
And Adrian Granado's immediately.
We look at the show stats and you see there's not a monstrous margin here
in terms of what was landed totally.
We go to the scorecards. We have a unanimous decision.
All three judges scored about the same.
117 to 111.
All three in favor of the winner.
He is now the WBC silver welterweight champion.
Showtime.
Sean.