By: Hans Themistode
Since the moment Errol Spence Jr wrapped the gold weight division around his hip in 2017, he has been ranked by most as the division’s best boxer. Those sentiments were only heightened after the Dallas side’s decisive win over Shawn Porter in 2019 to claim his second world title.
In addition to Spence Jr., current WBO belt holder Terence Crawford also challenged for the top spot. The pound-for-pound star was recently seen in the ring scoring a tenth-half stoppage-time winner against Porter in the final quarter of 2021.
Outside of both Spence Jr and Crawford, however, Yordenis Ugas believes he received the short end of the stick. The WBA belt holder has won 12 of his past 13 competitions with his biggest win being Manny Pacquiao. The two battled it out this past August at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Initially, Spence Jr was selected as the final opponent of Pacquiao’s career but was forced to withdraw due to a retinal tear/detachment. Given the chance of a lifetime to look him in the eye, Ugas wasted no time. The Cuban product has been thoroughly marked and outperformed the future first polling station to protect its crown.
To further cement his legacy, Ugas will now look to become a three-belt champion as both he and teammate Spence are locked in intense negotiations for a possible spring break in April. Considering the long way Ugas has come to get to this point, he can hardly express his joy.
“Very respectful of Spence. He’s a fighter in and out of the ring,” Ugas said in an interview with ESNEWS. “I believe I’m the best, I’m really emotional and super excited. I’m ready to get started. I have been waiting for this for a long time.”
Since being dropped from a bout against Pacquiao, Spence Jr has fought only once in a two-year period, registering a decidedly unequal victory over Danny Garcia in December 2020.
