By Ryan Burton
Many people have been labeling the upcoming Errol Spence-Mikey Garcia fight as the puncher versus the boxer. Spence (24-0) is a very big welterweight who has the best power in the division. Garcia (39-0), who began his career as a featherweight will be fighting at 147 pounds for the first time in his career and is widely regarded as being one of the most skilled fighters in the sport.
Spence, who holds wins over Kell Brook and Lamont Peterson, doesn't quite agree with that assessment.
During a recent press conference in Arlington, Texas, Spence said that while he does have concussive power, he also has skills that the general public are underestimating.
"I just feel like true boxing people know real skills. All the guys who say I am a brute or I just come forward and knock people out don't really know anything about boxing," said Spence.
"If you read into what I am doing I am not knocking people out in the first round. I am breaking them down physically and mentally. Even the Lamont Peterson fight - I was setting him up with my jab and catching him and picking off and then I broke him down and took him out. I just feel like a lot of people get it misconstrued just because when I have an opponent hurt or beaten up I go in for the kill instead of playing it safe and not go for the knockout."
As for his training for the Garcia fight, Spence that it is business as usual. He said that he is going 100% and not letting up in sparring.
"The (sparring partners) have been very physical. You know my sparring is very physical. I don't take it easy on my sparring partners. I don't have no mercy on them at all. If I can stop them then I stop them. You already know my sparring is rough. I have no friends in sparring," Spence stated.
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