When they first met and posed for a photo at Wild Card Boxing Club last month, Shawn Porter heard Jonas Sultan being referred to as the “Filipino Shawn Porter.”

The former two-time welterweight champion merely smiled as he headed to the exits of the famed Hollywood gym for he didn’t know what Sultan’s teammates really meant.

It was only on Saturday, October 30 (Sunday, October 31, Philippine time) after watching Sultan drop Puerto Rican knockout artist Carlos Caraballo four times, in the second, third, sixth, and ninth rounds, that Porter understood.

Sultan was a smaller version of himself. Fierce and relentless.

Try as they may, the three judges couldn’t help but award Sultan with a unanimous 94-93 decision. The gap should have been bigger were if not for the fact that Caraballo had just been signed by Top Rank, which staged the card at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, before their scheduled 10-rounder for the World Boxing Organization intercontinental bantamweight crown.

“I am humbled (of Sultan’s ‘Filipino Shawn Porter’ tag). He gets my blessing,” said Porter in his The Porter Way podcast.

“He went in there and he puts it down like he’s not playing no games. He’s a fighter, clearly has power in both hands, and you know I just think people would want to see excitement with Manny (Pacquiao) retiring.”

Porter, who is set to challenge unbeaten Terence Crawford for the WBO welterweight crown on November 20 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada, likes Sultan’s come-forward stance but wants the slugger from Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte to be known for his own, distinct style.

Brendan Gibbons, son of MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons who promotes Sultan, broached the “Filipino Shawn Porter” tag during the pre-fight interview with ESPN noting their similarity in physique and fighting style.

Sultan, accompanied by manager Junnie Navarro, will be arriving in Manila from Los Angeles Monday night, November 8, for a two-week break. – Rappler.com