Staples Center, Los Angeles, California - In a high stakes unification for the WBC, IBF welterweight titles, Errol Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) had to fight through fire to win a twelve round split decision over Shawn Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs). The scores were 116-111 for Spence, 115-112 for Porter, and 116-111 for Spence.

COMPUBOX BY THE NUMBERS

3- jabs landed per round by Spence after landing 7 per round in his previous 6 fights (welter avg.: 5)

7- number of rounds in which Spencer & Porter were within 4 connects of each other

(Thurman & Porter were within 5 connects of each other in 10 of 12 rounds in their fight)

9.4- body shots landed per round by Spence, double the CompuBox avg.

26- punches landed by Spence in round 12, his high for the fight

26- punches landed by Porter in round 4,  most by a Spence opponent

41%- time spent in close range by Spence-Porter after Porter spent just 17% of the Ugas fight at close range (according to CompuTrack)

44- power punches thrown per round by Porter vs. Spence after throwing 37 per round in his previous 10 fights, #1 among top tier welterweights

51%- pct. of Spence's landed punches that were to body of Porter (CompuBox Avg. : 29.5%)

62- punches thrown per round by Porter after averaging 52 per round in his previous 10 fights (welter avg.: 57)

62- punches thrown per round by Spence after averaging 72 per round in his previous 6 fight

88- punches thrown by Spence in round 12, his high for the fight

90- punches thrown by Porter in round 4, most by a Spence opponent

113- body shots landed by Spence,  a career high    

172- punches landed by Porter in the fight, most by a Spence opponent

744- punches thrown by Porter in the fight, most by a Spence opponent

WHAT WE LEARNED:

• Porter took away Spence’s jab with effective feinting and foot work.

• Porter has now lost razor thin decisions to Spence (they were within 4 connects of each other in 7 of 12 rounds) & Thurman (they were within 5 connects of each other in 10 of 12 rounds). 

• Porter is WAY more effective at close range, as 41% of Porter-Spence was fought inside resulting in 172 landed punches by Porter.  Just 17% of Porter-Ugas was spend at close range, resulting in just 144 landed punches by Porter.

• Spence’s body attack was the difference in this fight, he landed nearly 10 per round and half his landed punches were to the body of Porter.

• Spence rallied late with the fight in the balance, landing 23 of 80 punches in rounds 11 & 12.

• Needless to say, Porter was Spence’s toughest opponent to date, landing 172 punches, most by a Spence opponent.