The trainer of former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. denies that weight issues were the cardinal problem in his client’s disastrous outing against Terence Crawford.
Spence, of Desoto, Texas, lost his three 147-pound belts to Omaha, Nebraska’s Crawford in July via stoppage in the ninth round of their welterweight undisputed championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
What many expected to be a competitive affair turned out to be a one-sided drubbing.
After the fight, there was intense speculation that Spence was diminished by his attempt to make the 147-pound limit; Spence, 33, has been a welterweight his entire career.
Spence himself suggested that making the welterweight limit had taken a toll on his body going into the Crawford fight and that he would look forward to participating in a rematch at the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds.
But in a recent interview, Spence’s longtime coach, Derrick James, rejected the notion that the weight cut was the main culprit behind Spence’s disappointing performance. James seemed to indicate that Crawford, under the stewardship of his trainer Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, simply out-maneuvered Spence on that night.
“You’ll see him [in the rematch], he won’t be so drained he won’t be so depleted or whatever,” James told FightHubTV. “You know, that wasn’t the issue. Crawford fought a good fight. Crawford had a great game plan, right. So, you’re talking about this [Crawford’s] coach, he was the better guy that day.”
Although Spence activated his rematch clause with Crawford, it is not entirely clear when that fight will take place.
Asked about details regarding the status of the rematch, James demurred.
“I don’t know anything about it. Nothin’” James said.
“That part (weight class) I’m sure they already signed that or whatever,” James added. “But I don’t know anything about that either.”
