On Saturday, May 27, the boxing world officially welcomed newly crowned IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. to the sport’s elite group of the Welterweight best. The 27 year old Texas based fighter proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is indeed one of sport’s most proficient with his impressive stoppage victory over former titlist Kell Brook, and would indeed be a tough outing for any of the division’s top ranked contenders and reigning champions, including Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman.
Or did he? Did Spence prove to his critics and naysayers that he is indeed the best at 147 pounds?
According to Kell Brook’s always outspoken head trainer, Dominic Ingle, fight fans should judge slowly when anointing the new title holder as the future of the sport and the best of boxing’s new glamour division.
“Spence isn’t overhyped…he’s a good fighter,” claims the renowned British boxing coach. “Not trying to sound like sour grapes, but Spence isn’t this super fighter that everyone keeps saying he is. He’s a very well rounded, accomplished fighter, but I think we’ll know more when he fights the other Welterweights in America.”
“When he fights Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman or a Danny Garcia, I think we’ll know more about how good Spence actually is.”
Even after taking Brook’s best right hands, showing discipline and intelligence in sticking to his primary game plan and eventually imposing his will on the former champion, does anyone really need more evidence to convince them of Spence’s rightful stature among boxing’s elite?
Ingle expounds on his reasoning.
“The fight between Brook and Spence dramatically changed after Kell experienced the injury of a broken orbital bone,” claims the knowledgeable fight trainer. “Kell was obviously bothered by it, and eventually had to take a knee twice because he couldn’t see out of his left eye. He told the referee he couldn’t continue and that’s boxing.”
“Not trying to take anything away from Spence, but Kell was controlling the fight and winning up until the point of the injury…I think around round 6 is when everything began to change. Six rounds in, I thought Kell was up 4 rounds to 2, and the injury disrupted his timing and rhythm.”
“Who knows what would have happened had the injury not taken place.”
So how good is Errol Spence Jr.? Can he beat Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Lamont Peterson and Terence Crawford? Possibly a more appropriate question would be, ‘will the best at 147 pounds step in the ring with the newly crowned IBF Welterweight champion?’
Dominic Ingle recently shared his thoughts to DBN on Youtube.
“Who else are they going to fight,” stated Special K’s head trainer to Dontae’s Boxing Nation. “What’s the point of being a champion or highly ranked if you’re not going to fight the IBF title holder Errol Spence?”
How would Spence fare against the other perceived best fighters in the packed 147 pound weight division, and did he do enough against Kell Brook to convince the boxing world that he is indeed “The Truth”?
Would the fight have played our any differently had the injury not taken place in the pivotal seventh round of the IBF Welterweight championship?
Time will reveal the truth about Errol Spence and his place among the deep 147 pound weight class.
