Shawn Porter still feels like a winner despite falling to Keith Thurman

Shawn Porter didn’t sulk after losing to Keith Thurman in a back-and-forth slugfest that will definitely receive fight of the year consideration once 2016 wraps up.

Porter could have made a case that he was robbed Saturday night at the Barclays Center by the three judges, who unanimously agreed Thurman was the victor by a score of 115-113. The Review-Journal scored the fight a 114-114 draw.

Porter (26-2-1) was the one that dictated the pace and outmuscled and outworked Thurman (27-0). He certainly did enough to at least win on one scorecard.

The Las Vegas resident didn’t need to take the spotlight away from Thurman’s grand victory, retaining the WBA welterweight title. Porter saw the bigger picture. He knew he was walking out of the ring a winner regardless of the outcome.

“Obviously, I’m a little down that I didn’t get my hand raised, but at the same time hearing how people felt about the way I performed and the way the fight went, I can’t be too down on myself or feel like a loser or anything like that,” Porter said.

Porter won with the fans, gained fame and respect, but most importantly, he gave boxing a much-needed victory.

What Thurman and Porter did in the ring on prime-time network television meant a lot more to the sport, which has been gradually on the decline.

“I knew what were supposed to do being on CBS, being on prime time,” Porter said. “It’s something that I always wanted and an opportunity I would take advantage of.

“Making boxing look good was definitely 100 percent my focal point. This meant more than Team Porter or Shawn Porter. It meant a lot for boxing what Keith and I did.”

Porter feels he won the fight against Thurman, but doesn’t have any ill will toward the judges. The Akron, Ohio, native said he respects their opinion and has been congratulating Thurman on social media.

The fans at the Barclays Center in New York strongly booed when Thurman was crowned the victor. It could be because they favored Porter’s relentless attack rather than the run-punch-run approach that has been a staple in boxing the last decade.

The gracious Porter said he was stunned when the fans jeered. Thurman did his fair share of attacking, although Porter said “he ran at times.”

“I was quite surprised, and honestly at the end of the day, I thought Keith did everything he needed to do to win and I thought he fought hard,” Porter said. “I would have rather everyone been pleased with him having his hand raised as being the victor rather than booing, because we both put our bodies on the line.”

It came down to Thurman’s power, which could have swayed the judges in his direction. Each round was close, but there were times Thurman landed a vicious left hook or a powerful right hand that left a lasting impression.

Thurman, who goes by “One Time,” was unable to knock down Porter, something he has done to many opponents. Porter did wobble at times, but his Paul Bunyan-like chin kept him up.

This was the first time CBS aired a boxing match in prime time since Muhammad Ali fell to Leon Spinks in Las Vegas in 1978. CBS, Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions picked the right fight to team up for. Thurman-Porter had a peak 2.6 rating and is expected to be the most viewed fight of 2016 so far.

Porter hopes to get a rematch, but if that doesn’t happen, networks will certainly still be vying for his services in a different megabout.

“This one has been a lot easier to swallow than the loss to Kell Brook,” Porter said. “I’ve grown in every way since that Kell Brook loss. It was two years ago, I’m a different person now. I did everything I needed to do against Keith. It just didn’t go my way.”

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow him on Twitter: @gmanzano24