Nothing in the repertoire of Errol Spence Jr. struck trainer Brian McIntyre as particularly complex. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
Far from it.
The veteran trainer of Terence Crawford was hardly impressed by Spence’s performance against his charge last Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Omaha, Nebraska’s Crawford dropped Spence three times en route to stopping the Texan in the ninth round of their high-profile affair that resembled more of a mismatch than anything else.
Calling Spence “slow” and “basic,” “BoMac” did not hold back on a fighter many expected to give Crawford the toughest challenge of his career.
“He basic, man,” McIntyre said of Spence in an interview with FightHype. “Remember the last interview, Spence said, ‘well he’s good at fundamentals. I’m fundamentally sound.’ …After the first round, he was slow as sh!t. He’s slow. He’s got that will and determination but … He was slow. Look at the counters. Counters (Crawford’s) was fast as sh!t. He (Spence) was basic.”
McIntyre explained how “simple” strategies attuned to Spence’s movements led Crawford to victory.
“Listen, listen, look at all his fights,” McIntyre said. “All of his fights start with a jab … So you got a good jab, you got a good double jab, but on his double jab, the fighters that he’s been fighting, you can’t be still. Don’t be still in the middle of the ring. Once you get closer to the ropes you gotta move side to side. Talk a half step back. Real simple.
“You heard me say it in the corner, the only time he throws that double jab [then] go to the body, is when you’re close to the ropes. Make sure you have some room to work. When you have some room to work, take a half step back …and you start going side to side. Real simple, real simple.”
Crawford (40-0, 31KOs) and Spence (28-1, 22KOs) could be involved in a rematch later this year, if Spence decides to invoke his rematch clause. Whether it takes place at 147 or 154 would be up to Crawford.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.