By: Sean Crose
It was a great match on paper – a very interesting matchup, the highlight of two world titles. And while this weekend’s Errol Spence-Yordenis Ugas showdown may not be as expected as the Spence-Terence Crawford matchup, it’s still an intriguing (at least on paper) worthy event. worth the hype before the game. Aside from the Crawford, the Spence has been considered the top dog in the weight class for many years now. However, the recent past has not been easy for this man. A car crash in 2019 nearly killed him, then an eye injury kept him out of last year’s big fight with Manny Pacquiao.
It’s also Ugas, whom Spence will fight this weekend, who faced Pacquiao in Spence’s place last August. The 34-year-old Cuban boxer shocked many people that night by convincingly defeating Pacquiao and leaving the ring with the WBA belt that the Filipino legend had already entered the ring. It was a victory that led to Saturday’s fight at AT&T Stadium… and even more glory for the 4/27 veteran. However, will Ugas be able to defeat Spence? He’s actually beaten Pacquiao in the past – and was also supposed to have been given a nod by the judges after his 2019 bout with Shawn Porter.
However, Spence is a fighter with a next level skill set. His final battle was a defeat to the talented Danny Garcia in 2020, showing that the crash that nearly cost Spence his life did not diminish his ring abilities. Spence is also strong – scary as it is. His punches are like powerful blows – with each heavy strike seemingly bringing Spence closer and closer to the finish line or an outright knockout victory. Without a doubt, Spence is a warrior. However, no man is invincible, and – truth be told – Ugas has a few tricks up his sleeve.
For starters, Ugas possesses an impressive stab that knocks time and the ferocity of the lesser warrior. Ugas also has supreme defense. Watch footage of his 2019 fight with Porter. Like Spence, Porter (or, since he retired, has been) quite strong. However, when he moved to Ugas, where he was often unable to reach his men, Ugas had mastered the timing of Porter’s attack, and thus evaded danger before the attack landed. If he can do the same against Spence in the better half of twelve innings, Ugas could very well win the skirmish.
However, it is difficult to know if Ugas will be able to keep Spence away from him. Unlike Pacqiuao, Spence is roughly the size of Ugas. Furthermore, when Spence lands – and, make no mistake about it, Spence will actually land on Saturday – he deals damage. It is not always possible for a powerful puncher to knock down his man. Will Ugas be able to fight effectively in the times when Spence has his way, especially times where Spence can inflict devastating effects on the body?
The outcome of the entire match may be based on the answer to that single question.
