Shawn Porter: “Manny Pacquiao trains very hard and when it was time to get in the ring, he was always ready. I learned that from Pacquiao.”

Tomorrow night, ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter returns to the ring against Adrien Broner in what looks to be a very intriguing bout due to the caliber of the fighters and the agreed upon catchweight. With only the weigh in remaining, fans can look forward what looks to be one of the best match ups made in the growing Premier Boxing Champions series.

In part 2 of my “On The Ropes” boxing radio interview with Shawn Porter, I get his thoughts on whether he believes Broner belongs at welterweight. Shawn also talks about working with Manny Pacquiao, what he learned from those sparring sessions and also gives his view on Mayweather-Pacquiao. Lastly, both Shawn Porter and his trainer/father Ken Porter give their predictions for Saturday night. Here is what Shawn Porter and Ken Porter had to say.

Jenna J: Do you believe Adrien Broner is a true welterweight or even a junior welterweight? His power never seemed to carry up from light weight.

Shawn Porter: I don’t think he is. He’s always been the smaller guy and I think when he made his big jump to 147lbs, it was obviously to get a belt against a guy who can’t punch, a guy he had full confidence that he would beat. I think since then, he hasn’t done what it takes to move up into a weight class.

When you move up in a weight class, it’s not about eating, it’s about getting stronger, getting healthier and being prepared for what you’re gonna be up against. No, he’s not a true 147lb fighter. He knows that he’s not and he knows that he can make 144lbs and that’s why he wants to try to make it hard for us, but what he somehow doesn’t understand is that we work very hard, we’re very professional with everything we do.

The contracted weight has been established at 144lbs, we accepted that and we’ll be professional and we’ll make the weight. Not only that, we’ll make the weight in a healthy, strong way. When we do rehydrate and we come up a few pounds, we’ll be strong and we’ll be ready for the fight.

Jenna J: Early in your boxing career you were one of Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners. What did you learn from those experiences and how have you grown since then?

Shawn Porter: Looking back on those experiences, I know that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do right now. I watch Manny train, he trains very hard and when it was time to get in the ring and put it down, he was always ready for that. I learned that from him, I learned how to work hard and just keep learning. It’s an every day process, one day at a time and I think more than anything when I look back at those experiences, I just know that I’m in the right places and I’m doing the right thing.

Jenna J: What did you think of Manny’s bout with Floyd Mayweather and the fan disappointment with the fight they saw?

Shawn Porter: I was there, I thought the fight was very good. I thought Mayweather just did what he always does, he outclasses his opponents and that’s what he was able to do against Manny. I think the frustration from the fans came in when they didn’t expect that and so they want to blame it on other reasons. One reason obviously being that Manny had recently been knocked out in the last few years and he wasn’t the fighter he once was. I just think that Floyd had a great night and he’s proven himself to be a great fighter.

Jenna J: Do you think this fight with Adrien Broner as a chance to get yourself in the Mayweather sweepstakes for his next fight?

Shawn Porter: Sure it is, they have similar styles. Adrien has said on more than one occasion that Floyd is his big brother. He’s emulated not only his style but his career after Floyd Mayweather.

When I beat Adrien, the way that I do it, people will only be able to look at that and say, “Adrien’s got the same style as Floyd, he can be the one to beat Floyd.” I’m not gonna look past Adrien Broner, I know that would be a big mistake, a huge mistake. At the same time, I do know that there is a future after Adrien Broner, which could be Floyd Mayweather.

Jenna J: You are listed as the betting favorite, are you surprised that the odds makers are seeing what the hardcore boxing fans are seeing?

Shawn Porter: I’m not surprised. I think people are looking at him stepping up and taking on a big challenge with me being a big heavy handed puncher with a lot of skills, a lot speed, a lot of everything. I think that it makes sense that I would in this fight be the favorite to win.

Until someone brings that to my knowledge, I don’t care about that. I still have to get in the ring and do what my team is asking me to do and what I’m capable of doing. If I don’t, then me being the favorite means nothing.

Jenna J: What is you official prediction for June 20th against Adrien Broner?

Shawn Porter: Punishment. Oh yea, we will punish him from the outside and on the inside, It’s going to be a long night for Adrien. It’s going to be a long night, as long as he wants it to be.

Jenna J: Kenny, what is you official prediction for June 20th?

Ken Porter: Shawn just stole my line. When I was always asked if I predict a knockout, I said no. I predict that he will get punished. We’ll outbox Adrien, we’ll outhussle Adrien, we’ll outmuscle Adrien. We’re going to beat him in every aspect of this boxing match.

You asked if Adrien is a true welterweight, but the real question is, is Adrien a real boxer? I’ve known Adrien since he’s eight years old and I know for a fact that he’s never been as good as the popularity that he has outside the ring, he’s never been that good inside of the ring.

There’s a reason why he wasn’t at the Olympic trials, there’s a reason why he wasn’t national champion at the Golden Gloves when Shawn was there or the US Championships. There’s a reason why he wasn’t at any of those tournaments, because he’s never been that good.

All of the popularity and all of the hoopla and all the noise that goes on outside of the ring is what’s bringing all this attention to the guy. The question you asked, “is he a true welterweight?” The question I’m asking that night is, are you a true boxer? We’re gonna find out.