April 17, 2022
Source: ESPN
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Spence wanted to prove he was the big fish in the welterweight division.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Errol Spence Jr. looked impressive in a 10th-round TKO victory over Yordenis Ugas to unify three of the four major welterweight world titles at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. Terence Crawford has the other and a fight between Spence and Crawford has been marinating for too long. Spence said after the win that he wants the fight. Crawford has said he wants the fight. Boxing fans want the fight. Is this the right time?
In the co-main event, lightweight contender Isaac Cruz punished a faded Yuriorkis Gamboa en route to a fifth-round TKO victory, sending a clear message to the rest of the division. But can he beat the top names in the division?
Two other welterweight bouts took place on Saturday. Eimantas Stanionis, who was Ugas' mandatory challenger but stepped aside to allow the unification fight against Spence, defeated Radzhab Butaev by decision, and Conor Benn did quick work of Chris Van Heerden in a second-round KO victory. But are Stanionis and Benn ready for the big leagues? Is there a chance they can fight each other before taking the next big step?
Mike Coppinger, Ben Baby and Nick Parkinson discuss these topics and share their thoughts.
On Saturday night, in front of a rocking hometown crowd, he looked like a shark. But instead of circling Ugas inside the ring, he stuck in front of him with an endless supply of punches until it was too much for Ugas.
And in picking up a 10th-round TKO victory to win three of the four major belts in the welterweight division, Spence did more than make a statement. He showed that it's not too late for boxing to get the fight it desperately wants -- a showdown between Spence and fellow welterweight champion Terence "Bud" Crawford.
"That's the fight that I want," Spence said in his postfight ring interview. "That's the fight that everybody else wants. Like I said, I'm going to get these straps and go over there and take his s--- too."
Talking about a Spence-Crawford showdown feels like a box that needs to be checked before discussing the 147-pound division. But because of how Spence looked against Ugas, those words seemed to carry some additional weight this time.
In securing a third piece of the welterweight crown, with Crawford holding the WBO belt as the fourth and final share, Spence showed the sense of resiliency that has marked the last couple of years.
He showed no adverse effects from a detached retina on the left eye that forced him to pull out of a 2021 fight against Manny Pacquiao. Spence overcame a shaky moment in the sixth round when Ugas knocked Spence's mouthpiece out and continued a relentless output.
If Spence had ever looked better, even after the eye issue and the car accident that left him in critical condition in 2019, it was hard to recall.
Ugas was a worthy champion, for certain, and was dangerous when at a distance. But Spence smothered him and punched Ugas' eye shut, forcing the ring doctor to stop the fight in the 10th round.
In a way, Spence answered Crawford's similarly strong performance against Shawn Porter. On that night last November, Crawford made a strong case as the division's top fighter.
Of course, that has been up for discussion for years during Spence's and Crawford's respective runs in the division. After Spence's victory, Crawford again signaled his intent to end this debate.
"Now the real fight happens," Crawford said in a Tweet. "No more talk, no more side of the street."
In the last bit, Crawford referenced any promotional hurdles to a potential Spence showdown that no longer exists after Crawford's departure from Top Rank.
Spence seems just as eager for this fight to finally happen. And in beating Ugas the way he did, Spence proved that the Crawford bout isn't past the expiration date. -- Ben Baby
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