Terence Crawford is aiming to prove he is the pound-for-pound best after watching Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez slice his way through the super middleweight division.
Canelo beat Caleb Plant in Las Vegas last Saturday to claim the IBF belt at 168lbs, adding them to his WBA, WBC and WBO crowns. That victory made him the first-ever four-belt undisputed champion at super middleweight.
Crawford will make his next defence of his WBO welterweight title on November 2020, having fought Kell Brook this time last year in his previous fight. That compares to Canelo securing all four belts in roughly a year.
The 34-year-old American is envious of how quickly Canelo is able to set up the fights he wants.
"He is definitely doing things differently to me because he is able and capable of doing those things," Crawford told Sky Sports.
"He has fought four times in the past year. He has become undisputed.
"He is getting all of the fights that he wants right now. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to."
Crawford has struggled to build on his single title at 147lbs after becoming undisputed at super lightweight. Errol Spence Jr., the IBF and WBC champion, was hampered by a car crash, and Manny Pacquiao has largely been taken up by politics.
Fighting Porter is a chance for Crawford to remind the world of his talents.
"It has been frustrating," said Crawford.
"But what's meant for me, I will have.
"Everything happens for a reason and I believe that my time is coming."
Asked what he was aiming for, Crawford explained: "To be the best fighter in the world. Simple.
"I feel like I'm already there, but I have to prove it to the world and it starts with Porter."