By Jim Calfa: Errol Spence Jr. told the media last media that he’s not worried about trying to get a fight against Canelo Alvarez right now. His focus is entirely on trying to put together an undisputed match against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford.
Canelo has his own issues to worry about in needing to decide whether to fight WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in a rematch.
Even if Spence wanted to fight Canelo right now, it would be a no-win situation for him because the Mexican star has lost a lot of credibility with his defeat at the hands of Bivol.
If Canelo can bounce back from that loss to Bivol and if Spence beats Crawford, a fight between them in 2023 would be an intriguing possibility.
“I’m not worried about that either. I’m not chasing or asking about it,” said Errol Spence Jr. to the media on Saturday when asked if a fight against Canelo Alvarez is one that he wants before he retires. “It don’t matter.
“He do what he want to do, I don’t care. I don’t have no thoughts on it,” said Spence when asked about his thoughts on Canelo turning down $55 million to fight him at 164. “$55 million, making $50 million, he’s making millions,” said Spence about Canelo.
At this point, Canelo can make massive money fighting anybody he pleases. Obviously, it would be in Canelo’s best interest to try and avenge his loss to Bivol because that’s not the type of loss that a fighter can easily walk away from without it damaging their popularity.
“That’s what I am, that’s what I do. I didn’t say nothing, I said I’m ‘Moby Dick. I am,” said Spence when asked what he told Jaron Ennis after his win over Custio Clayton last Saturday.
The unbeaten welterweight contender Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) destroyed Custio Clayton (19-1-1, 12 KOs) by a second-round knockout in an IBF 147-lb title eliminator to become the mandatory for Spence’s IBF belt.
“It was good. His opponent looked like he came to get a check or something,” said Spence about Ennis’ opponent Clayton. “He didn’t do s***. He just looked like he didn’t want to fight.
“I’m not worried about him right now; I’m worried about Crawford. I’m trying to get that fight made,” said Errol when asked if fans will ever see him fight Boots Ennis.
“Yeah, Castano was coming forward, and he just stayed calm and focused and stuck to his game plan,” Spence said about IBF/WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo in his fight against WBO champion Brian Castano last Saturday night.
“There was a lot of times where he [Charlo] was hurting him, and I was like, ‘Jump on him, get him.’ He just stayed focused and still used his jab and kept his composure and got him out of there eventually.
“His focus and how he always stayed to the game plan, using his jab and his power. He was catching him a lot and hurting him a lot too,” Spence said about Jermell. “I think his power made a huge difference because he was hurting Castano a lot.
“I’m looking forward to Devin Haney fighting over there in Australia vs. Kambosos. I’ve been wanting to fight [an undisputed clash]. That’s pretty dope for Haney to be fighting overseas and take the strap from the dude. It takes some balls.
“When I become undisputed, they might need to make that man coach of the decade,” said Spence about his trainer Derrick James. “He just focuses on the fundamentals and coming up with different game plans and stuff like that,” said Spence.
