Both Errol Spence Jr. and trainer Derrick James realize that in order to eliminate Terence Crawford in the undisputed welterweight title tilt on July 29, an arduous axing job must ensue.
“The key for Errol is to know who he is and never really go outside of what we really want to do. To win, we have to chop, chop, chop him down. That’s the key element. Keep breaking [Crawford] down. That’s all I want him to do,” James told BoxingScene.com in an interview.”
“Errol needs to be the best version of himself. Go out there, and stay focused … The winner of the fight needs to have fortitude. You’ll see a fighter get pushed.”
Against the proverbial tree that is the three-division champion Crawford, Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) is perceived to be the slight betting underdog, according to sportsbooks. Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) is pegged as high as a -188 favorite by some oddsmakers.
Spence is holding camp at his home base of Dallas at the World Class Boxing Gym. James said his 33-year-old charge is firing on all cylinders.
“Preparation is looking good. A lot of times, when fighters get hit, the strategy and gameplan go out the window,” said James. “But I think in a high-stakes game like this, these guys have to stay focused and make sure that they don’t lose focus.”
Spence confirmed that he’s focused and ready to prove to people that he’s one of the best welterweights of all time.
“This is the biggest fight in boxing. When you look at our styles, and know our mentalities, you know neither of us are gonna want to break. I feel like someone is gonna break on fight night,” said Spence.
“He can show what he wants to show. He might go on and do his thing after I beat him and prove he’s an all-time great. But he can stop that nonsense because I’m winning on July 29.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.