Photo: Erick Bone (L) lands a punch against Shawn Porter. Porter won by knockout in the fifth round. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
After the last minute pull-out of billed opponent Roberto Garcia, which almost did the unthinkable and left Miguel Vazquez to kick off Al Haymon’s nascent PBC venture, the confirmation of unheralded stand-in Erick Bone (16-2, 8 KO) almost seemed a relief. The Ecuadorian junior welterweight was unknown coming into this fight, but there was intrigue in as much as Shawn Porter (25-1-1, 16 KO) has a lingering tendency to blow hot and cold.
However, despite some signs of rustiness from Porter following seven months of inactivity in the wake of his first pro loss, the overmatched Bone offered little to dissuade the bullrush and hislack of power became evident after a tense opening pair of rounds. Gradually able to impose his will via a vicious body assault from the third round on, Porter eventually dropped Bone in the fifth, from which point the end was nigh, and he finished him not long after.
The former titlist was his usual energetic self, but sterner tests surely lie ahead.
