‘Hopefully he sees this’: US great’s public advice to coachless Aussie over worrying gameplan

Shawn Porter says Australia’s Brock Jarvis is taking an “alarming” approach to the biggest fight of his career without longtime trainer Jeff Fenech in his corner – warning the young Sydneysider is set to throw down exactly as Keith Thurman wants him to.

The dire prediction comes as Porter also offered a new take on the potential 2025 showdown between Thurman and Tim Tszyu, having last year tipped his fellow American to be the better man.

Thurman vs Jarvis | WED 12 MARCH 7PM AEDT | Australia’s Brock Jarvis will take on former Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman in a blockbuster event at the Hordern Pavillion. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

Now something of a staple for Australian pay-per-view events, Porter has this week jetted into Sydney to join the Main Event commentary team for Wednesday’s showdown between Jarvis and Thurman at the Hordern Pavilion.

In recent weeks, much has been made of the decision by Jarvis and his trainer Fenech to part ways, with the Australian fight great revealing he had little say in his charge accepting this fight against the two-time world champion.

The latest drama follows the pair initially busting up in April last year — that time, due to Jarvis deciding to move up several weight classes to campaign around super welterweight and chase showdowns with Tim and Nikita Tszyu.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Jarvis described the Fenech saga as little more than a headline however stressing: “At the end of the day, I’m on my own … nobody else can help me inside that ring.”

So as for who has been helping him game plan for one of the greatest welterweights of the modern era?

“Me,” Jarvis said simply.

“I’m doing my fight planning.

“I’ve done heaps of homework and will fight Thurman the way I want.

“Same in my last fight, it was my decision to move up.

“And I feel that was a successful night.

“Now I’ve got this fight which is another opportunity to prove myself.”

However, after interviewing Jarvis at Monday’s press conference, and talking through his plans for the fight, Porter believes the young Aussie is playing right into his rival’s hands.

Importantly, Porter is also no stranger to the fighting style of the man dubbed ‘One Time’, having challenged Thurman himself way back in 2016 — narrowly losing on points.

So as for how Jarvis now fares?

“One thing Brock said to me which is alarming,” Porter started, “he said he’s known for being aggressive and starting fast – but he doesn’t want to do that.

“He wants to, he said, kind of start slower.

“I’m putting words into his mouth but this is what I figured out, (Jarvis) wants to start slower and ride the wave, react to Keith.

“That’s not good.

“That’s not a good game plan.

“And hopefully he sees this because I’m not going to just tell him, but Keith is so unpredictable, can do so many things, you try to get onto his rhythm – that’s literally what he wants you to do.

“I really hope Brock sees that … (but) I don’t know if he can make an adjustment off of that”.

While Porter still described the fight as a 60/40 bout, he struggled to say exactly where Jarvis would win it.

“I think Keith can control the range, distance, speed, rhythm, the tempo all that,” he said.

“So Brock has to put it on him.

“Brock has to really push his heart rate.

“If he does that, I think he could pull this one out but we’ll see.”

Asked about a key victory for the Australian, Porter continued that a strong jab could upset Thurman, who likes to create a rhythm in fights and then compete off that.

“(But) I haven’t seen a good jab from Brock,” the former champ conceded.

“And as tall as he is, he needs a jab.

“Especially against Keith.

“Keith uses this rhythm, and then he goes off that rhythm to do different things.

“So the jab really stabilises the opponent.

“That would be a key but he (Jarvis) doesn’t really have that jab.”

Later he added of the Australian: “More than anything he has to be aggressive.

“He has to be himself.

“Brock also keeps his hands up well, so I think a lot of what Keith throws can get parried off.”

Should Thurman win, he is then expected to return Down Under later this year for a second pay-per-view headliner against Tszyu – who must also win his own upcoming bout against Joey Spencer on Sunday, April 6.

A year ago when the pair were initially slated to fight, Porter predicted his countryman would be too strong for ‘The Soul Taker’.

Yet asked on Monday by Fox Sports Australia who wins a 2025 showdown, Porter suggested it was a 50/50 contest – even with Tszyu having dropped consecutive title fights against Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev.

“Y’all seen me say this once before, that I felt he would beat Tim,” Porter said of Thurman.

“But before the Murtazaliev fight, things were swaying for me.

“Keith had come down with another injury, and it’s like ‘you can’t keep getting injuries’.

“Even with this fight, there is the possibility of Keith getting hurt.

“But I think between Keith’s inactivity, and the way the last fight for Tim went, I think it’s 50/50.”