Tag Archives: Errol Spence Jr

Posted on 05/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

From the moment Errol Spence Jr. made his professional debut in 2012 on a relatively small show in Indio, California, the Dallas native has shown an immense amount of confidence. But while it’s clear that Spence Jr. has the utmost faith in his skills, it appears as though the powerful southpaw believed he could dethrone arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Following Alvarez’s 11th round stoppage victory over Caleb Plant in November of 2021, the newly crowned undisputed super middleweight champion became a wanted man. On one end of the spectrum, was Eddie Hearn. The longtime promoter dangled a three-fight deal in the face of Alvarez. First up for the Mexican star, would be a date against current WBA light heavyweight titlist, Dmitry Bivol. Should Alvarez walk away from their contest unscathed, he would then move on to a showdown against longtime rival, Gennadiy Golovkin.

For Alvarez’s third bout with Hearn, names such as cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu, as well as Joshua Buatsi have been rumored to be the frontrunners.

As Alvarez pondered over Hearn’s offer, Al Haymon from Premier Boxing Champions made his move. Initially, it was revealed that both Jermall Charlo, the current WBC middleweight champion, as well as David Benavidez, were offered to the Mexican star. However, Tom Brown of TGB Promotions, divulged that there was another name offered to Alvarez as part of their initial package.

“Props to Eddy Reynoso, the ‘Manager of the Year,’ for getting Canelo these huge paydays with the least risk,” Brown said. “He had him take the least risk for the most reward. Because he had a chance to fight a reigning world champion at 160 pounds in Charlo and he also had a chance to fight an undefeated, two-time former 168-pound champion in Benavidez. Or he could’ve fought the reigning welterweight champion. It was a $100 million deal.”

The reigning welterweight champion that Brown is eluding to, is current unified titlist, Errol Spence Jr. According to Brown, Spence Jr. was willing to audaciously move up to take on Alvarez at a catchweight of 164 pounds.

Although Alvarez carefully looked over his options, he decided against Haymon’s offer in lieu of Hearn’s deal. Despite Alvarez now being tied at the hip with Hearn, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to the negotiating table with Haymon. If Alvarez does, in fact, accept a future deal to face Spence Jr., the Mexican product reveals that he would be unwilling to acquiesce to his weight demands.

“I don’t want to do things like that. Catchweight? 164, why me? I don’t need to do that.”

Regardless of Alvarez’s public refusal to go down to 164 pounds, Spence Jr. has seemingly moved on from the idea of facing the pound-for-pound star…at least for now. Just a few short weeks ago, Spence Jr. successfully added yet another world title to his collection, scoring a 10th-round stoppage victory over Yordenis Ugas. Since nabbing the victory, Spence Jr. has openly admitted that he currently has his eyes set on facing longtime rival, Terence Crawford.

Ultimately, Alvarez continues to be apprehensive over the idea of squeezing down to 164 pounds. However, he isn’t completely eliminating the possibility of a showdown against Spence Jr. If, of course, he were willing to meet him at his natural weight.

“168,” continued Alvarez. “I don’t need to do anything like that.”

Posted on 05/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Long before Terence Crawford sauntered his way to the welterweight division in 2018, the Omaha, Nebraska, native made his feelings known that he wanted to face the best 147-pounders in the world.

By and large, Errol Spence Jr., the division’s only unified champion, has held that distinction. So, after identifying who was the man to beat, Crawford immediately set his sights on the powerful southpaw. Nevertheless, despite his attempts to lure Spence Jr. into the ring, Crawford was forced to wait.

While Spence Jr. has always viewed their showdown as inevitable, with Crawford being associated with promotional company Top Rank, and Spence Jr. being closely aligned with Premier Boxing Champions, several issues behind the scenes prevented the two from facing off. In an effort to avoid the back and forth theatrics, Spence Jr. temporarily pushed a possible showdown against Crawford aside as he focused his efforts on aggregating every other world title at 147 pounds.

Just a few short weeks ago, Spence Jr. successfully achieved his goals. On April 16th, in front of nearly 40,000 fans, Spence Jr. would hand Yordenis Ugas the first knockout loss of his career. In the process, the Dallas native violently ripped away his WBA welterweight title.

Presently, with Crawford operating as a promotional free agent, the switch-hitting pound-for-pound star believes that now more than ever, nothing is standing between himself and his fellow welterweight champion, from swapping fists.

“I’m free to do whatever I want,” said Crawford to ESPN during a recent interview. “There’s nothing standing in the way from us fighting. There’s no promotion company that’s blocking it, there’s no wrong side of the street, there’s no nothing. Let’s see who the best welterweight in the world is.”

For the 34-year-old Crawford, in the midst of waiting for Spence Jr. to make his way to the negotiating table, the Omaha, Nebraska, native has wreaked havoc on the division. With six consecutive stoppage victories since making the move up in weight, Crawford snagged the most impressive victory of his career in his most recent outing.

In November of 2021, Crawford first boxed and then brawled his way to a stoppage victory over former two-time 147-pound titlist, Shawn Porter. Since then, Crawford has remained sequestered on the sidelines, patiently waiting for Spence Jr.

Although a showdown between them has yet to be discussed, considering that Spence Jr. is only a few weeks removed from facing Yordenis Ugas in a physically taxing bout, both welterweight stars could be heading toward a collision course near the end of the year. If that is in fact the case, Crawford would have plenty of time to sneak in a bout of his own before facing Spence Jr. However, following years of pent-up frustration, Crawford has zero intentions of facing anyone but Spence Jr. next.

“I’m going straight into it. I don’t want no tuneup fights.”

At one point, a showdown against Spence Jr. became worrisome for Crawford. Although Spence Jr. has been lauded for his in ring work, concerns surronding his health mounted.

In October of 2019, one month after successfully unifying titles against Porter, Spence Jr. was involved in a horrific car wreck. Considering the seriousness of his near-fatal accident, inquiries encircling Spence Jr. arose. But, despite it all, the former Olympian bounced back nicely, winning a lopsided unanimous decision over Danny Garcia in December of 2020.

The injury woes for Spence Jr., nonetheless, continued. In August of 2021, the unified champion was scheduled to face off against Manny Pacquiao. However, due to a retinal detachment/break in his right eye, Spence Jr. was forced to withdraw as he was ushered into immediate surgery.

As even more haze clouded Spence Jr.’s career, he turned in a superb performance against Ugas. Known for his durability and toughness, Ugas succumbed to the pernicious blows of Spence Jr. via 10th-round stoppage.

A sly smirk was spread across the face of Crawford after watching Spence Jr.’s performance. His aforementioned smirk turned into a full-blown grin as Spence Jr. officially called him out. With the Dallas product seemingly back to his dominant self, Crawford is anxious to face the best version of his longtime rival.

“Now everybody’s saying that Errol’s back and he’s 100% ready. So now is the perfect time for me and him to fight. He called me out, so it ain’t no backing up.”

Posted on 04/28/2022

By: Hans Themistode

A sly and confident smile was immediately plastered onto the face of Brian “Bomac” McIntyre following the recent performance of Errol Spence Jr.

The Dallas native fought through a bit of unforeseen adversity during his welterweight unification bout against Yordenis Ugas on April 16th, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. While he appeared to be initially stunned during the halfway mark, the powerful southpaw bounced back nicely in the second half, punishing the brave Cuban for the remainder of their bout.

Although Spence Jr. was triumphant on the night, McIntyre shook his head in approval as the Dallas product expressed a desire to face Terence Crawford next. McIntyre, Crawford’s longtime trainer, has always stood firmly in the pound-for-pound star’s corner. And while he respects Spence Jr. and everything he brings to the table, he becomes incredulous whenever media pundits and fans claim that a showdown between them will be a 50/50 bout. In McIntyre’s mind, Crawford vs. Spence Jr. will be one-way traffic.

“Bud is gonna dominate him,” said McIntyre to FightHype.com. “Bud gonna beat the shit out of him, mark my words.”

So far, the partnership between both Crawford and McIntyre has yielded stellar results. In addition to the newly turned 34-year-old sauntering through his career and producing an undefeated record through 38 fights, the pair most recently nabbed arguably their most impressive scalp.

On November 20th, 2021, Crawford first boxed then brawled his way to a 10th-round stoppage victory over Shawn Porter, ushering the former two-time 147-pound champion into retirement.

Prior to Crawford’s showdown against Porter, McIntyre was boisterous and adamant that Crawford would become the first fighter to stop Porter. But, despite Crawford’s recent showing against Porter, and regardless of his lofty standing on virtually every pound-for-pound list, McIntyre’s confidence isn’t simply derived from nearly two decades of working Crawford’s corner.

Admittedly, McIntyre reveals that he has an extensive notebook on the tendencies and habits of the current unified champion. Ultimately, in his view, Spence Jr. has improved throughout the course of his career. However, the renowned trainer has noticed several flaws in the game of Spence Jr. over the years. And, regardless of how well he’s done up until this point, McIntyre believes that he hasn’t them.

“I been watching Spence a long time and to me, he’s still doing the same thing. He may have gotten stronger, he may have improved on some of the things he does in camp but as a trainer, he’s still doing the same things. If he ain’t change then, he ain’t gonna change by the time he get in there with Terence.”

Posted on 04/24/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Although Freddie Roach has learned to live with the results, the Hall of Fame trainer is still contrite with the way things ended for his former starfighter, Manny Pacquiao.

The former eight-division world champion was determined to prove that even at the age of 42, he was still the top dog at 147 pounds. While initially, many were taken aback by Pacquiao’s decision to test his skills against a younger, fresher, and bigger Errol Spence Jr., the Filipino native was eager for the challenge.

With the two scheduled to face off on August 21st, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2021, Roach salivated as he constructed what he believed was a bulletproof game plan. Yet, despite Roach’s bravado, his Hall of Fame pupil was given unfortunate news.

With roughly a week and a half remaining before the two pugilistic stars shared the ring against one another, Spence Jr. was forced to withdraw, citing a torn/detached retina in his right eye. As the Dallas product reluctantly underwent surgery, Yordenis Ugas, who was set to appear in the co-main event, stepped in to replace him.

In spite of the change in opponent, oddsmakers believed that Pacquiao’s experience and overall explosive power would prove to be too much. Nevertheless, Ugas rose to the occasion, scoring a fairly wide unanimous decision victory, which would subsequently, usher Pacquiao into retirement.

Although hindsight is 20/20, Roach admits that it wasn’t auspicious to take on the former Olympic bronze medalist on such short notice.

“I wish we had fought Spence instead of Ugas,” said Roach to FightHype.com. “We ended up taking that fight on two days’ notice. There’s no way you can get ready for a big fight on two days’ notice. He has a long reach and a little bit awkward. I wish we would’ve waited for Spence to get healthy.”

Ugas’s reward for usurping Pacquiao, was an immediate date with the man he just replaced. Both Spence Jr. and Ugas engaged in a back and forth war in front of nearly 40,000 fans at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 16th.

Though Ugas believed that his victory over Pacquiao would serve as his guide to defeating Spence Jr., the powerful southpaw presented Ugas with an unsolvable puzzle. While the Cuban product had his moments, Spence Jr. would eventually break his man down, forcing a ringside physician to call a halt to their bout.

Regardless of Spence Jr.’s dominant showing, Roach is sticking to his guns. Nevertheless, the longtime trainer has been thoroughly impressed by Spence Jr.’s ability to look catastrophe squarely in the face and never blink.

In October of 2019, one month following his split decision win over Shawn Porter, Spence Jr. was involved in a horrific car wreck. The Dallas native was thrown violently from his sports vehicle, resulting in several facial lacerations.

Needing well over one year to recover from his injuries, Roach initially believed that the once-dominant fighter and pound-for-pound star would never be the same. Yet, undeterred by the words of Roach, Spence Jr. continues to steamroll his competition.

Admittedly, due to Spence Jr.’s ability in the ring and unwillingness to fold when faced with adversity outside of it, Roach has become a big-time fan.

“I like Spence a lot. What he’s been through, the car accident, I didn’t think he would come back that well. In his last two fights, he’s looked very good. He’s back to where he was.”

Posted on 04/22/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Errol Spence Jr. looked sensational, splendid, superb, excellent, flawless, and every other superlative word you can think of as he went on to stop the normally durable Yordenis Ugas this past weekend on April 16th.

A crowd of nearly 40,000 stood on its feet and roared in approval as their hometown kid forced a ringside physician to call a halt to their welterweight unification bout. But, despite Spence Jr. capturing his third world title and regardless of how breathtaking his performance was, with a seemingly looming showdown against Terence Crawford on the horizon, the division’s WBO titleholder, Tim Bradley believes Spence Jr. doesn’t have enough tricks up his sleeve to deal with the pound-for-pound star.

“I’m going Terence Crawford by knockout, 11th round,” said Bradley to Fight Hub TV. “I just think that he has more to him. Switch southpaw, right-handed, can punch, supreme accuracy and timing. I’m a go with Crawford.”

Throughout Spence Jr.’s dominant reign as a unified 147-pound champion, Bradley has summarily dismissed his chances at defeating Crawford time and time again. Yet, even Bradley admits that the powerful southpaw was impressive in his ninth round dismantling of Ugas.

Initially, the Cuban born former titlist fought Spence Jr. on mostly even terms. With both men spending the majority of their bout in the middle of the ring throwing hellacious shot after hellacious shot, it was Ugas who buckled first.

A short left uppercut from Spence Jr. began Ugas’s demise in the seventh. The force of the blow immediately caused swelling around the right eye of the Cuban native. Though he bravely continued to battle, he eventually succumbed to the power of his man in the 9th.

In totality, it was Spence Jr.’s overwhelming volume punching that allowed him to wrap his third world title around his waist. With 784 punches thrown from the Dallas product, compared to only 541 from Ugas, Bradley readily admits that Spence Jr.’s workman-like approach could prove to be an issue for Crawford.

Still, regardless of the dangers that are associated with facing the unified champion, Bradley maintains immensely confident in Crawford’s chances to hand Spence Jr. the first loss of his career.

“I know Spence he’s a machine, he comes forward, he has high volume. He can isolate a lot of the stuff with his volume but Crawford, that’s my guy.”

Posted on 04/21/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Much like the nearly 40,000 fans that rose to their feet and applauded in approval at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this past weekend, Jaron Ennis admits that he was thoroughly entertained.

On April 16th, Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas waged a back and forth war with the winner claiming three of the four major world titles at 147 pounds. Although the first half of their showdown was closely contested, Spence Jr. pulled away in the second half. The beginning of the end for the Cuban star began in the seventh as Spence Jr. landed a well-timed uppercut on the inside.

From there, the right eye of Ugas began swelling profusely. While the former Olympic bronze medalist gave it everything he had, he ultimately succumbed to the power of his man, losing in the ninth round via doctor’s stoppage.

Ennis, of course, watched closely. And while Spence Jr. vs. Ugas had plenty of high drama moments, in the end, Ennis wasn’t surprised with the outcome.

“It was a good fight,” said Ennis during an interview with YSM Sports Media. “Spence did what he was supposed to do, he looked good.”

Although Ennis was always of the belief that Spence Jr. would pick up the victory, in the fourth, Ugas almost defeated the odds. In an awkward sequence, Ugas landed a short right hook on the inside, sending the mouthpiece of Spence Jr. halfway across the ring. The Dallas product seemed to forget that he was in a back and forth battle as he stopped engaging with Ugas in favor of searching for his mouthpiece.

With Spence Jr. defenseless, Ugas landed a three-punch combination which sent his man into the ropes. At that point, it appeared as though Ugas could have gone on the attack, but instead, he stood motionless in the middle of the ring, confused as to what was taking place. A few seconds later, referee Laurence Cole paused the action to allow Spence Jr. to retrieve his mouthpiece.

In that instance, it appeared as though Ugas was attempting to show sportsmanship toward his opponent. While Ennis respects the decision of Ugas, he believes the Cuban star missed a gigantic opening.

“Ugas ain’t have no killer instinct. It’s cool to be nice an all but at the end of the day, it’s boxing. You have to protect yourself at all times.”

Presently, following the win, Spence Jr. is now in possession of the IBF, WBA, and WBC welterweight titles. The unified star has made his intentions clear that his next and final match at 147 pounds will be against WBO titlist, Terence Crawford.

To fans of the pugilistic sport, an undisputed showdown against two of the best fighters in the world is music to their ears. However, in the case of Ennis, hearing such news has made him acrimonious.

On May 14th, Ennis will attempt to move one step closer to his own world title shot as he takes on Custio Clayton at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Should Ennis go on to do what many are expecting, he’ll become Spence Jr.’s IBF mandatory challenger.

Having watched Ugas vs. Spence Jr. this past weekend, the highly touted contender isn’t unnerved about his chances against either of them or even Crawford.

“I already know I can do. I know I’ll be able to break anybody down and outsmart anybody.”

Posted on 04/20/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Although Errol Spence Jr. eventually broke Yordenis Ugas down and truncated his WBA welterweight title reign, the determined Cuban slugger gave Spence Jr. all he could handle.

As a crowd of nearly 40,000 thousand cheered the unified titlist on, they were left motionless with their hands over their mouths as Ugas staggered his man in the fourth. To kick off the change in momentum, Ugas landed an overhand right that seemed to buckle Spence Jr. Shortly after, Ugas connected on an uppercut on the inside, sending Spence Jr.’s mouthpiece flying halfway across the ring.

Under normal circumstances, a referee will allow both fighters to continue battling if they’re in the middle of an exchange. However, once a lull in the action takes place, the referee will pause their showdown and allow said fighter to retrieve their mouthpiece. Spence Jr. though, seemingly forgot the rules.

The moment the Dallas product’s mouthpiece was knocked loose, he immediately stopped defending himself and attempted to recover it. Ugas though, took full advantage, landing a three-punch combination. The final blow, a straight right hand, sent Spence Jr. into the ropes.

It wasn’t the first time that Spence Jr. had an awkward reaction to losing his mouthpiece. In December of 2020, against Danny Garcia, the Philadelphia native rocked Spence Jr., causing him to spit out his mouthpiece. Once again, Spence Jr. stopped protecting himself and went looking for his mouthpiece, allowing Garcia to take advantage.

With his inability to keep his mouthguard in place, Spence Jr. admits that it’s time to go looking for a better one.

“I gotta get a new mouthpiece,” said a laughing Spence Jr. to a group of reporters. “My mouthpiece been messed up. I gotta get a new mouthpiece. It’s not molded to my mouth at all. I gotta bite down real hard for it to stay in my mouth. That’s my fault.”

When Spence Jr. initially lost his mouthpiece against Garcia, it happened at the tail end of round 11. Although Garcia attempted to follow up when Spence Jr. looked down, the bell had already rung to signal the end of the round. However, against Ugas, there was plenty of time remaining on the clock.

As the powerful southpaw staggered across the ring and into the ropes, a collective gasp could be heard from his hometown fans. While Spence Jr. initially revealed that referee Laurence Cole had shouted “break” before he went to find his mouthpiece, he refuses to blame the veteran ref for his actions. Instead, Spence Jr. is holding himself accountable for his boneheaded move.

“That was a rookie mistake for me to go looking for my mouthpiece and then I get punched like three times. That was my mistake because you’re supposed to protect yourself at all times.”

Posted on 04/18/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Jermell Charlo has built a reputation as a pernicious puncher, superb boxer, world championship level talent, and one of the more vulgar trash talkers in the entire sport of boxing.

However, despite being ready, willing, and able to face anyone placed in front of him, Charlo is shying away from a potential showdown against fellow stablemate and close friend, Errol Spence Jr.

Just a few months ago, former undisputed heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, made headlines when he attempted to put on his matchmaker cap.

“I wanna see Errol Spence go up to 154 and fight [Jermell] Charlo,” said Tyson on the Club Shay Shay podcast.

Spence Jr., a current unified champion at 147 pounds, just recently added a third welterweight title to his ever-growing collection. This past weekend, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Spence Jr. fought Yordenis Ugas tooth and nail in front of a crowd of nearly 40,000.

While Spence Jr. was tested, he ultimately broke his man down in the later rounds, resulting in a 10th-round stoppage victory. With the powerful southpaw now angling for an undisputed showdown against Terence Crawford, the welterweight division’s lone remaining belt holder, Spence Jr. has revealed that win or lose, he plans on moving up to 154 pounds.

In doing so, Spence Jr. could be left with an intriguing choice. Currently, Charlo, like Spence Jr., holds three of the four major titles at 154 pounds. On May 14th, he could become the division’s first undisputed champion since Winky Wright in 2001, as he takes on WBO titlist, Brian Castano. Although Spence Jr. doesn’t have Charlo on his radar, he did admit that he would be willing to face his good friend. Provided, of course, the financial rewards made it worth his while.

“I think so,” said Spence Jr. on the DAZN Boxing Show when asked if he would be willing to fight Charlo. “If it makes sense money-wise.”

In addition to their close bond, a Spence Jr. vs. Charlo matchup faces another dilemma. With the pair being trained by Derrick James, it places another roadblock firmly in the way of their possible bout.

Pushing everything aside, Charlo appears poignant when discussing the possibility of facing a fighter he’s grown to love like a brother. Nevertheless, while a showdown against Spence Jr. isn’t something that Charlo is willing to pursue, if, for some reason, his bank account received a hefty payment, the unified 154 pounder will push their friendship aside.

“I have no intentions to fight my stablemate,” said Charlo to several reporters. “When you got an emotional attachment to somebody, that’s like me fighting my twin brother. But, like Spence said, if that mother f*cking money right and they putting that brick bread out there, we going to get in there with anybody. I can’t touch my brother but I mean, if they wanna f*cking pay me $50 million or some shit, let’s do it.”

Posted on 04/18/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Nearly 40,000 fight fans filled the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this past weekend to cheer on one of their homegrown.

With each successful blow landed by Errol Spence Jr., Yordenis Ugas moaned in agony. However, while Spence Jr.’s faithful supporters screamed at the top of their lungs, they did experience several anxiety-filled moments. In the fourth, both Ugas and Spence Jr. took their battle to the center of the ring.

On this occasion, the Cuban born native got the better of his man, landing a short right hook on the inside that forced Spence Jr. to spit out his mouthpiece. In what appeared to be a lapse in judgment, the Dallas product seemingly forgot that he was in the middle of a back and forth war. As the 32-year-old placed his hands by his side and began looking for his mouthguard, Ugas made him pay by landing a three-punch combination, the last of which sent Spence Jr. into the ropes.

Despite his mental hiccup, Spence Jr. refocused and closed the show in the 10th. Amongst the seemingly perpetual fans that applauded in approval, Jermall Charlo, the current WBC middleweight champion, may have been the most boisterous.

Often seen right by Spence Jr.’s side, Charlo made his way backstage following his good friend’s victory and began wrapping his three welterweight titles around the unified champion’s waist. When asked on how impressed Spence Jr. was on the night, Charlo could barely hold his excitement.

“Super good, super good,” said a pumped-up Charlo during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Broke him down, beat his ass, that’s what we do in Texas.”

As mentioned by Charlo, Spence Jr, systemically broke his man down during the second half of their contest. To begin the seventh, a lead uppercut quelled the moment that Ugas had built up until that point. And with it, his right eye began swelling immediately.

While he fought desperately to hold onto his WBA 147-pound title, Spence Jr. mercilessly tracked him down with relentless body shots and right hooks. With his right eye completely closed shut, a ringside physician who was watching their battle closely, stepped onto the apron and examined Ugas, administering a slew of tests. Although the Cuban product vehemently protested the decision of the physician to call a halt to their contest, Spence Jr. was awarded the victor.

Having watched every punch of every round, Charlo could have given a detailed full breakdown of what Spence Jr. did well on the night. Instead, the elated world titleholder gave a fairly rudimentary answer when asked to give his thoughts.

“He beat his ass, he beat his ass.”

Posted on 04/17/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Errol Spence Jr. was continually bombarded with questions surrounding the greatest rival of his professional career, Terence Crawford. But, much like he’s done in the ring, Spence Jr. evaded those perpetual Crawford questions as if they were a deleterious right hand coming from an opponent.

All along, while many grew impatient with the Dallas product’s passive attitude, he was simply attempting to be respectful of the man standing before him.

As a crowd of nearly 40,000 stood on their feet to cheer him on at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, both Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas waged an all-out war. The bigger and at times, more physically dominating Cuban, enjoyed plenty of moments of success. In the fourth, in particular, Ugas landed a short right hand while in the clench, knocking loose the mouthpiece of the unified champion. In a then awkward sequence of events, Spence Jr. immediately turned his attention toward his unhinged guard and would subsequently pay for his lapse in judgment. Ugas blasted the 32-year-old with a three-punch combination, the final blow resulted in him being launched into the ropes.

Despite taking his eyes off the prize momentarily, Spence Jr. would eventually refocus and batter Ugas during the second half of their bout. While he was resilient, Ugas was ultimately told by a ringside physician that he would be unable to continue.

As whats become normal protocol following all boxing matches, there was one prevailing question for Spence Jr., what’s next? Without a moment’s notice, with three welterweight titles now proudly draped over his shoulder, Spence Jr. gave the one and only name everyone in the arena wanted to hear.

“Everybody knows who I want next,” Spence said. “I want Terence Crawford. That’s the fight that I want. That’s the fight everybody else wants.”

Crawford, of course, holds the final piece of the 147-pound puzzle. The Omaha, Nebraska, native is often viewed as the leading man on virtually every pound-for-pound list. In November of 2021, Crawford proved his ranking correct, as he went on to register a 10th round stoppage over former two-time welterweight champion, Shawn Porter. Following the victory, Crawford chastised his rival, as he continually called him out. Spence Jr., however, paid Crawford no mind.

Several years ago, Spence Jr. revealed his initial game plan. With three of the four welterweight titles being held by fighters associated with Premier Boxing Champions, Spence Jr. believed that it only made sense to target them first before turning his attention to Crawford.

Now that the unusually strong southpaw has made it a clean sweep, he’s now placed a bullseye on the back of Crawford.

“Like I said, I’m going to get these straps then go over there and take his sh*t too. Terence, I’m coming for that mother f*cking belt!”

Posted on 04/17/2022

By: Hans Themistode

There was a sense of contrition coming from Errol Spence Jr. With the unified welterweight champion spending the past few years on the mend as opposed to inside the ring, the Dallas native vowed to make up for lost time.

While many were attempting to look past Yordenis Ugas, his opponent earlier tonight, and toward an undisputed title clash between the Dallas product and Terence Crawford, the Cuban star nearly ruined their mouthwatering storyline.

As the opening bell rang to signify their welterweight unification at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, both men employed a similar game plan, meeting in the center of the ring and letting their hands fly.

Although both men fought on mostly even terms, it was Spence Jr. who elected to move away from the firefight that was ensuing and instead, opted to box. The Dallas product ultimately experienced success. He tagged Ugas from the outside with a consistent jab while also connecting with devastating hooks downstairs.

In the following round, Spence Jr. continued to thrill the crowd while flustering Ugas as he boxed and moved. With the momentum squarely in the corner of Spence Jr., Ugas upped his aggression in the third. The 35-year-old Cuban bullied his man across the ring, forcing him into the ropes where he would ultimately land crushing blows upstairs.

In the fourth, the confidence in Ugas only grew as he attacked the midsection of the unified star. While Spence Jr. attempted to get his offense going, he was nullified as Ugas butchered away at his body.

As the following bell rang to begin the fifth, Spence Jr. pumped his jab into the face of his opponent. They continued to fight on mostly even ground during the period, however, it was Ugas who dominated the sixth.

Following several well-timed hooks downstairs, Ugas connected on a picture-perfect right hook. The force of the blow knocked the unified star’s mouthpiece halfway across the ring. In what appeared to be an awkward moment, Spence Jr. seemingly forgot that he was in the middle of a heated clash and attempted to retrieve his mouthpiece. Once he did, Ugas took full advantage, landing a flush two punch combination that staggered him into the ropes.

As the Dallas crowd moaned in fear, Spence Jr. spent the duration of the round holding and avoiding many of the looping hooks Ugas threw in his direction. As the powerful southpaw regained his focus, he immediately went on the attack.

A flush right uppercut left Ugas on wobbly legs. From there, Spence Jr. continued to pummel his man. It was much of the same in the ninth. Spence Jr. was relentless in his assault, forcing referee Laurence Cole to take a close look at the grotesquely swelling right eye of the brave Cuban.

Although he was initially allowed to continue, Spence Jr. poured it on in the tenth. A smiling Ugas threw his hands in the air and egged his man on, something the Dallas product welcomed with open arms. Once again, referee Laurence Cole called upon the ringside physician to take a close look. Upon doing so, he was given no choice but to wave off their bout, officially handing Spence Jr. the victory.

With the powerful southpaw now in possession of three of the four world titles at 147 pounds, he immediately turned his attention toward the lone remaining belt holder.

“Terence [Crawford], I’m coming for that mother f*cking belt.”

Posted on 04/16/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Once Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas agreed to unify welterweight titles, Derrick James knew it would be no easy task to formulate a game plan. Nevertheless, Spence Jr.’s longtime trainer believes that over the past few months, he’s figured Ugas out.

In just a few short hours, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Spence Jr. and Ugas will look to add even more championship gold to their already impressive collection.

Since suffering back-to-back defeats in 2014, and moving his then record to 15-3, Ugas has completely turned his career around. With wins in 12 of his past 13 contests, the former 2008 Olympic bronze medalist has firmly entrenched himself as one of the welterweight division’s elite.

Though Ugas is known for his come forward and aggressive style, the 35-year-old has a multilayered game. Amongst his many attributes, James believes that the counter-punching ability of Ugas has become something that he’s excelled at.

So, in an effort to negate one of the current WBA champion’s best traits, James reveals that he brought in additional help to aid in Spence Jr.’s preparation.

“I think that it was a good training camp,” said James to a group of reporters. “We had two really good fighters in the gym. Two really good counterpunchers. That’s really what Ugas does a lot of. He’s going 14 and 15 rounds so it’s good.”

As previously mentioned, Ugas has worked diligently on all facets of his game. But, despite adding several wrinkles, the proud native of Cuba has used his size and overall strength to bully his opponents into submission. In his most recent trip to the ring, Ugas registered the impressive victory of his career, a 12-round unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao on relatively short notice.

During their action-packed chess match, Ugas not only made Pacquiao miss and subsequently pay, but he also imposed his will while muscling the smaller Pacquiao.

In the case of Spence Jr., James smiles when asked if he believes Ugas will plant his feet and fight fire with fire in the middle of the ring come later tonight. If, for some reason, the Cuban star elects to go Mano e Mano, James is convinced that the three judges watching ringside will be given the night off.

“It’s not going to make the 12th round. I’ve seen him spar big guys and shoot those shots, and in two rounds, they’re depleted. So if that’s what he wants to do, it won’t make it to the 12th round. There’s no way.”

Posted on 04/14/2022

By: Hans Themistode

With Yordenis Ugas and Errol Spence Jr. set to unify titles on April 16th, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the remarkably stout southpaw is growing sick and tired of team Ugas and their analysis of his overall game.

In September of 2019, Ismael Salas, head trainer of Ugas, believes Spence Jr. was at the top of his game when he dethroned Shawn Porter for his WBC 147-pound title. However, following a horrific car wreck just one month later, which subsequently led to the Dallas product needing well over one full year to recover, Salas believes Spence Jr. isn’t the same fighter that he was before.

Since being flung from his sports vehicle, Spence Jr. has entered the ring just once, scoring a one-sided unanimous decision victory over Danny Garcia in December of 2020. Although Spence Jr. dominated Garcia, Salas maintains that the current unified champion is simply not the same fighter that he was once.

“In my personal view, that’s nothing to take away from him but he was not the same guy who fought with Shawn Porter to the same guy who fought with Danny Garcia,” explained Salas to a group of reporters several weeks ago. “Something missing. He was missing something there. For the reason? I don’t know. Maybe the fire, maybe it can be the weight. Many reasons.”

Visibly ticked off during their final presser, Spence Jr. took the time to address Salas while assuring his fans that he’s back and better than ever.

“I’m better than that guy that fought Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia,” said Spence Jr.

In just a few more days, Spence Jr. will have the opportunity to prove that his words are prophetic. Nevertheless, although Spence Jr. is confident that he’ll pick up the win, he acknowledges that Ugas will present him with a bemusing puzzle to solve. The Cuban born product has had his hand raised in victory in 12 of his past 13 bouts, including against future first ballot Hall of Famer, Manny Pacquiao.

Still, despite the credentials of Ugas, Spence Jr. isn’t bashful in his predictions of how their showdown will play out. With Ugas known for coming forward and fighting fire with fire, Spence Jr. has issued a stoic warning to his upcoming opponent if he intends on employing that same tactic against him come fight night.

“Ugas is a tough fighter. He embraces the fight. He embraces wanting to go toe to toe. If he has to, he’ll do anything to win. I’m that type of guy. If I have to go toe to toe I will. If I gotta stand there and fight I will. I think if we in the clench and we start fighting, I don’t think it’ll go 12 rounds.”

Posted on 04/14/2022

By: Hans Themistode

While Yordenis Ugas is widely respected by everyone in the boxing world, by and large, most believe that he’ll come up woefully short in his bid to become a unified champion.

In just a few short days, on April 16th, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Ugas will attempt to snag both the WBC and IBF welterweight titles of Errol Spence Jr. With the Cuban native putting the finishing touches on an arduous training camp, the current WBA trinket holder believes he’s in pristine shape.

But, despite his unwavering self-belief, both oddsmakers and fans are shrugging their shoulders. In Spence Jr., the Dallas product will have the public backing of his hometown crowd. In addition to the undying support, Spence Jr. has been perfect in the ring, racing out to a 27-0 record. Even with the newly turned 32-year-old having his out of the ring issues, including a horrific car wreck in 2019, and a detached retina in his right eye that required surgery in 2021, many believe that Ugas is in over his head.

Although countless dubious voices continue to give their unwanted opinion, Ugas isn’t paying them any attention. Instead, the Cuban star is placing his complete focus on dethroning the unified star.

“I’m a competitor,” said Ugas to a group of reporters recently. “My objective is to come here and win. I don’t plan to come here and accept a loss in any kind of way. I came here on a mission, and that’s to take all three belts.”

More than just his dogged demeanor and never say die attitude, Ugas believes his unprecedented recent run will lead him to victory on the night. With 12 wins in his last 13 trips to the ring, Ugas has seemingly come into his own.

Of course, in addition to picking up wins against notable fighters such as Jamal James, Ray Robinson, and Omar Figueroa Jr. – Ugas ushered Manny Pacquiao into retirement. The two officially clashed in August of 2021, following the withdrawal of Spence Jr. due to his previously mentioned eye injury.

A determined Ugas rendered a pro-Pacquiao crowd extraneous as he went on to hand the future first ballot Hall of Famer the final loss of his illustrious career.

With the 35-year-old slugger now on the verge of the biggest night of his career, Ugas smiled widely as he was bombarded with nonstop questions.

“I’m just happy. I’m happy to be fighting in front of 30 to 40,000 people. You’re going to see that excitement come Saturday night”

Posted on 04/13/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Being loquacious simply isn’t a part of Errol Spence Jr.’s DNA.

The unified welterweight star has stated on numerous occasions over the years that a showdown between himself and WBO titlist, Terence Crawford, is inevitable. However, before the two officially lock horns, Spence Jr. believed he should place most of his attention on aggregating every other world title.

With the Dallas native now just one win away from doing so, as he’ll take on WBA champion Yordenis Ugas this Saturday night, April 16th, Spence Jr. is remaining true to his word.

“Oh definitely,” said Spence Jr. when asked if he plans on fighting Crawford during an interview on The Pivot Podcast. “Like I been telling people, I’m getting the third belt with Ugas. There’s only more belt to get. The proof is in the pudding. Every belt I got, I done took from somebody.”

In 2017, Spence Jr. truncated the world title reign of Kell Brook, traveling to his hometown in the United Kingdom to do so. In 2019, Spence Jr. ripped away Shawn Porter’s WBC title via split decision.

The newly turned 32-year-old is hopeful that his penchant for stripping top-level fighters of their world titles, will continue this coming weekend. Although Spence Jr. is pegged as a sizable favorite, Ugas is riding the high associated with a career-best showing.

In August of 2021, Ugas snagged the most significant win of his career, a unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao. Ironically enough, Spence Jr. was initially scheduled to face Pacquiao but was forced to withdraw due to a detached retina that required immediate surgery.

Should Spence Jr. continue his winning ways, he’ll only need Crawford’s WBO title in order to become the division’s first undisputed champion since Zab Judah in 2006.

However, while it appears as though both Crawford and Spence Jr. are finally heading toward a collision course, the powerful southpaw believes his time at 147 pounds is dwindling.

Noticeably big for the weight, Spence Jr. has recently hired a nutritionist in an effort to help him squeeze his enormous frame down to the 147-pound weight limit more comfortably. Regardless of the added help, Spence Jr. is convinced that after his showdown against Ugas, he’ll have only one contest at 147 pounds before officially moving up.

Yet, while the plan is to face Crawford immediately after, if for some reason Spence Jr. is unable to land that bout next, the Dallas product reveals that he’ll be willing to protract his welterweight stay.

“I’m not moving up until I get that fourth belt.”