No one will likely mistake the fighting style of Errol Spence Jr. for the pyrotechnical brilliance of an Aaron Pryor or Hector Camacho, but that does not mean the welterweight titlist’s more measured cadence of boxing is not highly effective in its own right.

Derrick James, the longtime trainer of Spence, holder of the IBF and WBC 147-pound titles, responded to the critique that Spence lacks the sort of flashy athletic ability that draws oohs from viewers.

James could not help but smirk at a notion he feels is totally misguided.

“‘Errol is boring: He throws basic, technical punches,’” James told Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “People want to see the pizzazz and the flair, right? But that pizzazz and flair only last so long. Athleticism is fleeting. You need technique and skill to have longevity in boxing. These guys, everybody wants to show [their athleticism].

“Errol shows slow and steady and they can’t deal with that.”

Spence, a two-fisted southpaw, is known for his methodical, ‘grind-em-down’ approach in the ring. He works behind a sharp jab, breaks his opponents down by targeting the body, and maintains a high defensive guard. He is not the kind to start jitterbugging around the ring or switch stances willy-nilly. With 27 wins, no losses, and 21 knockouts, and two titles in his possession, Spence has clearly found a winning formula.

The native of Desoto, Texas, is gearing up for a welterweight unification bout against WBA titlist Yordenis Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

James, who has played a significant role in shaping Spence’s style, said the more flamboyant forms of fighting are essentially fool’s gold. James lamented that this era of fighters seem to rely more on their innate athleticism instead of focusing on improving their skills.

“I think that that is funny,” James. “We’re living in an athletic era right now. What I mean by that is guys are switching from left-handed to right-handed, guys bouncing around the ring, whatever.

“If you think about this, that’s all they have, their athleticism. Athleticism is fleeting. When you here somebody answer an asinine question like that – that’s not to say that Sugar Ray Leonard wasn’t super athletic or Muhammad Ali wasn’t athletic because if you see them they would bounce around forever. But they had skill and technique. That’s the difference between [them and] the fighters today.”