Shawn Porter is one of the great guys in boxing, a genuine and unassuming man who is as likeable as he is talented. He was an extraordinary amateur, winning 276 of 290 fights and just missed out on making the U.S. Olympic boxing team.

As a pro, he’s won a world title and is 26-1-1, and has the kind of entertaining style that fans love.

Porter outboxed and outhustled Adrien Broner in his last outing, a unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas that was televised by NBC, but post-fight, the story was more about Broner’s failings than Porter’s abilities.

A win on Saturday in his CBS-televised bout against Keith Thurman, though, will change things dramatically.

Porter will go from being the other guy to the guy if he hands the unbeaten Thurman his first defeat.

They meet on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for Thurman’s WBA belt in a bout that boxing fans have hotly anticipated for the better part of the last year.

They will meet in the first bout televised in primetime on CBS since Muhammad Ali fought Leon Spinks in 1978.

Porter is always highly motivated regardless of external forces, but following Ali has lit a fire under him.

“Being the first fight in primetime on CBS since Muhammad Ali is very significant,” Porter said. “It makes me want to go out there and do something inspiring.”

There was hope this bout would have been made last year, but it inexplicably kept being put off. It was then set for March 12, but injuries Thurman suffered in an auto accident forced the delay until Saturday.

When a fight is delayed by injury, it’s often difficult for the non-injured fighter. He’s keyed his training to peak on a certain date, and it’s hard to adjust frequently.

Porter never stopped working though. The delay, he said, worked out to his advantage.

“Keith’s injury gave me enough time to make extra sure I had everything I needed to get ready for this fight,” Porter said. “That’s not to say I wouldn’t have been ready March 12, but it’s given me more time to reflect and visualize. On [Saturday], I know I will be 100 percent on every level.”

Thurman, who has 22 knockouts to go with his 26 wins, is roughly a 9-5 favorite. The fight may come down to how Thurman handles Porter’s attacking, in-your-face style.

Porter is a pressure fighter and forces his opponent to make mistakes. Thurman has the kind of pop to make him pay for rushing in, but if Porter can back him up, Thurman has to show he can fight going backward.

They’ve sparred together before and are at least somewhat familiar with each other’s style. Will it make a difference in the bout? It’s unlikely, Porter says.

“We sparred for about two weeks but that was a while ago,” Porter said. “The biggest change has been mental. There are things you learn and grow out of. I’m a lot different. Still some of the same skills, but definitely stronger mentally.”

Porter showed his mental strength in the way he rebounded from his only loss, a surprising majority decision to Kell Brook.

Porter knocked out Erick Bone and then outclassed the heavily favored and much more hyped Broner.

Of course, the post-fight talk was all about what happened to Broner. And while Broner is the antithesis of Porter – a guy who far too often doesn’t take his job seriously and who tries to rely too much on pure natural talent – it wasn’t just Broner that was responsible for the result.

Porter’s pressure is intense and it causes problems for the most skilled of fighters.

Ken Porter is Shawn’s father, trainer and, apparently, his best friend. The two are inseparable and have a bond that transcends the sport.

Ken Porter knows Thurman well and respects him highly, but he expresses few concerns, despite the odds against his son.

“I respect Keith as a fighter and as a person,” Ken Porter said. “This is something that happens along the way. Fighters have to fight each other. Some of these guys working in our gym, they may have to fight Shawn one day. But fight night is fight night.

“I’m not worried about anything Keith Thurman can do. We’ve done all the hard work. The foundation has been laid. He’s done this since he was 4 years old. He’s been on every stage and this is his time.”