Comments Thread For: Errol Spence - Legacy Enhancement: Phase 1

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

The more things change, the more they stay the same, so even with the biggest fight of his boxing life looming, Errol Spence, Jr. was mellow, grounded and unassuming as always. Spence faced IBF welterweight champion, Kell Brook, last Saturday, May 27th, at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England, and understandably, the level of attention on the 2012 U.S. Olympian increased, both home and abroad.
[Click Here To Read More]

[Blackclouds]

Spence is on his way. Because of his work ethic he's going to be very difficult to beat.

[1hourRun]

In terms of welterweight championship victory this win oversea over Kell Brook ( a top five opponent ) is on par with Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto -- except Cotto didn't take a knee ( that time ), but wait Kell Brook did! now I lost my train of thought....

or another great example that is as significant is Floyd 'Money' Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz....oh **** Ortiz quit on that one...nah it was vs. Maidana...Devon Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley.....Hey! welterweights are filled with 'No Mas'. Nevermind these guys are overrated.

[Earl-Hickey]

honestly at this point his legacy is so set he cant even do much to enhance it

[Bronx2245]

Anyone still comparing Errol Spence to Jeff Lacy?

[j.razor]

Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. still has work to put in before we give him a legacy. He is on the right path but it doesn't stop for a while.

[j.razor]

Anyone still comparing Errol Spence to Jeff Lacy?

Lol.....only joke calslappy....lol

[Bronx2245]

Lol.....only joke calslappy....lol

Now that's funny!

[angkag]

Few were as high as I was on Spence before the Brook fight, but I don't buy that his bodywork over the first 6 was effective.

Yes he was trying to use his free left to land body punches before and during clinches, consistently and rightly so, but Brook was covering and moving so that the shots rarely landed cleanly. Some got home, but not enough to account for Brook's later slowdown. We've seen so many fights where consistent and clean body shots are ripped in over the first 6, then when the opponent stops moving and their guard starts to drop, its clearly due to accumulated investment in the body. This wasn't one of those fights. Spence's body attack was largely smothered, and a well conditioned athlete (at the right weight) could have ridden into the later rounds without being materially diminished.

If anything, I've noticed I maybe give more credit to body work than many judges do (based on my scoring vs theirs sometimes), so its not a case of misunderstanding or giving less credit than is due. Spence just didn't land the volume of body shots with the right placement and intensity to get the job done in the first 6 (and credit to Brook for that).

For me, Spence was disappointing over the first 6 in not solving the puzzle in front of him and starting to dominate earlier. It was only when Brook visibly slowed after round 6 (Spence only started to land clean shots in numbers in round 7) that Spence began to dominate.

In my mind Spence only proved he can dominate and beat a diminished Brook (post the 6th round), but not one on form (first 6). And the golden question comes back to 'well, if Spence was responsible for the opponent being diminished after 6, then that's a comprehensive and strong victory over someone as strong as Brook'.

But I don't buy that Spence was responsible for the opponents form dropping off - he was part of the equation for sure, but a well conditioned WW (at the right weight) would have ridden those first 6 and still be as strong as Spence was late on.

[BrometheusBob.]

honestly at this point his legacy is so set he cant even do much to enhance it