By Sean Jones: Errol’ The Truth’ Spence Jr. took a shot at Keith’ One Time’ Thurman on Monday in letting him know on social media that he’s not going to follow in his footsteps by taking tune-up fights with a “get-back” year following his car crash.
Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) is still planning on defending his IBF/WBC welterweight titles against Danny’ Swift’ Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) this year.
Former WBA/WBC 147-pound champion Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) talked of wanting to devote an entire year as part of a “get back” after he returned from an elbow and hand injury following a two-year layoff from boxing.
Spence had wanted Thurman to face him when he returned, but instead, he fought fringe contender Josesito Lopez and then Manny Pacquiao in 2019. Thurman lost to Pacquiao by a 12 round split decision last July, and he’s now a contender looking for a title shot.
Thurman is talking about wanting a rematch with Pacquiao. Unfortunately, that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen in 2020.
Spence fires a salvo at Thurman
“Another thing WBC cool with me taking a tune-up & my management I don’t want the s*** I’ll leave that to Thurman and his ‘get back year’ or whatever he said,” Spence states on his social media.
Spence has already made it clear that he’s not going to be throwing a bone to the recently beaten 31-year-old Thurman. In other words, Errol isn’t going to give Thurman a voluntary title shot. Spence has other fish to fry in wanting to face Danny Garcia next.
After Garcia is out of the way, Spence will face Pacquiao, followed by WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. At that point, Spence says he’ll move up to 154 and look to win world titles in that weight class. What that means for Thurman is he’s not going to get a title shot against Spence, period.
It might not matter that Spence is planning on freezing Thurman out because the way he’s talking, he’s not all that interested in fighting him. Thurman has his eyes on the Pacquiao rematch, and that seems to be his only focus right now.
If Pacquiao loses to someone first, then that’s going to mess up Thurman’s goal of getting a second fight with him. It’s unclear what Thurman will do at that point.
Spence was trying to get a fight against Thurman since 2016 with no luck. Errol was trying and trying and not getting anywhere. Finally, Spence went after IBF 147-lb champion Kell Brook and traveled to England in May 2017 and fought him in his backyard in Sheffield in winning an 11th round knockout.
Spence says that after he stopped Brook, all his British fans cleared out of the arena and disappeared immediately. They didn’t stick around for the post-fight interviews inside the ring.
Errol doesn’t care about complaints from contenders
“Had to wait 9 months then travel to foreign land & fight a guy in his hometown to get in didn’t complain not once,” said Spence on him winning his IBF title from Kell Brook in Sheffield, England.
“I fought my way to the position I’m in now when none of the champs wanted to let me in! I can give a f*** about any complaints from other boxers,” said Spence.
The only contender that appears to be grumbling about wanting a title shot against Spence right now is #3 WBC Yorgenis Ugas, but he’s not ranked high enough to force a title shot. Danny Garcia is ranked above him in the World Boxing Council’s top 15 rankings at #2, and Porter is #1.
Ugas lost to Porter in 2019 by a questionable 12 round decision. The loss still counted, even though it was controversial. Instead of Ugas talking about Spence, he should force Porter to fight him again.
Thur far, Porter isn’t making a lot of noise about wanting a rematch with Spence. In truth, that would be a wrong career move for Porter to take an immediate rematch with Spence. If Porter loses a second consecutive fight to Spence, his career will be in bad shape.
Porter would be better off trying to keep the pressure on WBO champion Terence Crawford. He hasn’t fought Crawford yet, and he might be able to mug him with his inside fighting style. Crawford has never fought an inside fighter like Porter, and he might fall apart with his rough style.
Ever since Spence won the IBF belt, it’s been all gravy for him. He had three easy fights in defeating challengers Carlos Ocampo, Lamont Peterson, and Mikey Garcia before facing WBC 147-lb champion Shawn Porter in a unification match last September.
