Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas clash for the world welterweight title on Saturday night. Can the Cubans turn the tide and dethrone ‘Truth’? Luke G. Williams previews the action…
Welterweight has long been considered one of the deepest weight classes in boxing, and the sometimes painful gradual process toward crowning a single 147 lbs king, unquestionably – hopefully – will took a step further on Saturday night when WBC and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr (27-0.21 KOs) faced off against WBA ‘super’ fighter Yordanis Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) at the stadium AT&T in Arlington, Texas.
No man has ever held all four alphabet belts at a welder during the – ugh – ‘four belt era’, but with WBO champion Terence Crawford now an advertising free agent, one The undisputed title fight between the Omaha man and the winner of this tournament seems to be at hand, imperative and inevitable controversies over the division of the purse.
Although Cory Spinks and later Zab Judah held the WBA, WBC, IBF, and Ring magazine belts in the mid-2000s, Antonio Margarito’s WBO strap bypassed them, meaning the 147 lbs champion really and without a doubt is – believe it or not – Lloyd Honeyghan of Britain, who snatched the WBA, WBC and IBF crowns from Don Curry in 1986.
Honeyghan later threw the WBA belt in the trash instead of defending it against South Africa’s Harold Volbrecht in a fight that he said would act as an endorsement of the then-active apartheid system. in South Africa.
So how does the newest pair of rugby athletes trying to join Honeyghan, Sugar Rays Leonard and Robinson and the rest of the team of the critically acclaimed true weight world champions? ?
Let’s start with Ugas. Prior to his unanimous point decisive win over great Manny Pacquiao last August, the 35-year-old Cuban living in Miami was seen as a steady contender if there were no exceptions. Of course, the fight with Pacquiao changed everything for him, although he still started this fight as an obvious underdog. Technically adept and clumsy, he’s a good fighter, but his style hasn’t always resonated with American umpires – as can be seen from the fact that in four professional losses His career was three split decisive defeats.
Aside from the close and controversial loss to Shawn Porter, all of Ugas’ losses came before the birth of his autistic son and his relationship with coach Ismael Salas, events events that he identifies as crucial in improving his focus and dedication to boxing.
There is certainly much to like and admire about Ugas, who seems to possess a ‘anyone, any time, any place, anywhere’ fighting mentality, as evidenced by his eagerness Looking forward to going into the fight against Pacquiao last year in less than two weeks. noticed after Spence withdrew with a retinal tear in his left eye and the fact that he was undeterred against Spence at Texan’s home turf.
“I’m excited to be fighting in Spence’s backyard, because they have great fans in Texas. It just adds momentum,” Ugas said. “The match against Pacquiao was a great night for me. After that war, my life changed in many ways. But I always keep myself humble. I showed everyone who the WBA champion is. I have an eye on continuing to make history.
“Being an underdog means nothing to me. I was the underdog before Pacquiao and now again against Spence. I’ve always been the underdog and that doesn’t discourage me. It’s an honor to be in the ring with Errol Spence Jr. We are fighting for three belts, but it is more important to fight for honor and respect. Fans can expect me to fight like a fighter. I will train hard on April 16.”
As for Spence, the 32-year-old has long been considered one of the top boxers in the world. Indeed, it could be argued that the luxurious southpaw comes close to the complete pugilistic package; he has a great bump and commands distance; he can punch and he can fight well from afar or from the inside, while his stamina and punch resistance are both excellent.
Perhaps the most impressive of Spence’s qualities, however, is his enviable adaptability in mid-fight, or even mid-round, to assert himself and win rounds and moments. key moment in a skirmish – a quality he displayed most dramatically. in his 2019 confrontation with Shawn Porter when he hit a close by scoring a decisive knockdown in round 11.
Based on pedigree, past results, and skill set, this is an easy fight to call and one that one would expect Spence to win through a tight but clear scoring decision after 12 rounds. fight.
However, there are several factors that exist that give Ugas supporters hope that he can deal with the sadness. Chief among these are doubts regarding Spence’s fitness and physical condition due to the horrific car accident he suffered in 2019 and the eye surgery he underwent last year. after withdrawing from a fight with Pacquiao.
Since he overturned his Ferrari 488 Spider at high speed in Dallas, Spence has only fought once, against Danny Garcia, and although he won it was clear many felt he didn’t. same as the old force. In contrast, Ugas fought three times during this period and was therefore able to become a sharper and more skilled fighter when fighting at night. Furthermore, the Cuban will fight with growing confidence in his victory over Pacquiao.
Not surprisingly, Spence has denied that his physical condition or 16 months out of the ring will be an issue for him. “I feel good and I’m ready to go,” he said. “This time off from work after the injury was easier for me than the one after the accident because it put so much less stress on my body. Mentally, I also prepared for what I was about to go through. I was back in training before camp started for this fight so I was ready.
“Even half of me would beat most of these guys at the highest level. Now I feel great and I am 100%. Physically, I’m stable and everything is really normal. If Ugas’s coach [Ismael Salas] I think I’m a different boxer now, we’ll see how different I am in two weeks. ”
Spence – who has been known to put on around 190lbs between matches – has also stated that by hiring a full-time dietitian for the first time, weight loss will no longer be an issue for him in This match compared to the previous one. past.
“The training camp was amazing,” he said. “I had great associates and we were focused. I saw a dietitian and it made it much easier for me to lose weight. I have everything in my arsenal. Whatever Ugas brings, I am ready for it. I will command speed and control everything. I’m making him fight my war. From what I have seen, Ugas is very physical and very tough. He’s waving Shawn Porter forward, so you know he has a fighting spirit inside of him.
“I had to do a lot of work and I was not worried about my eyes at all. It really feels stronger than the other. I’m just making sure I’m 100% right with everything. I don’t want to say anything to the rest of the department. I will deliver my message with my performance. When I have three belts, people will know what that means.”
On balance, although doubts persist about Spence, his home field advantage and unquestionable spirit of play were enough to help him land a point win and – hopefully – put he’s one step closer to a showdown with Terence Crawford that all boxing hopes have been placed on before one or both men enter a significant downturn.
