Trainer Derrick James made some cryptic comments this week that things are not going well with him and former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr, who is rumored to be leaving him for another coach.
Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) has looked like a hot mess recently. He lost his last fight in a disappointing performance against Terence Crawford in July of last year, and some boxing fans blame Derrick for not devising a better game plan for that mega-fight.
Blame it on the Coach
Worse yet, people blame Derrick for the 33-year-old Spence looking drained, weak, and not in the kind of physical state that he’d been in a year earlier against Yordenis Ugas and in his past fights.
On social media, Spence seemed to hint that he’s moving on to a new trainer, saying, [I need to] “find a new home.” To some, that seemed like a major hint that Errol is parting ways with Derrick James and moving on to a new coach.
Many fans view Spence changing trainers as merely rearranging chairs on the deck of a sinking ship. Errol doesn’t look like the same fighter he was five to seven years ago when he was faster, mobile, and still ambitious.
$$$ = Apathy
With an estimated net worth of $15 million, Spence is wealthy and doesn’t seem to have the same hunger with his career as he had previously.
We see that lack of ambition displayed with Spence fighting just once a year, putting on weight in between fights, and not showing the same interest in keeping his career afloat that he had earlier before he accumulated his fortune.
On top of that, Spence has suffered eye injuries and been involved in two serious car crashes that have further derailed his career.
Derrick Dishes
“I’m focused on my other guys. We talked three weeks ago. You can’t look back. You can’t look forward and look back at the same time,” said trainer Derrick James to the Cigar Talk YouTube channel when asked about Errol Spence.
“Mentally, I guess he’s OK. I believe when you [are defeated], when the song stops playing, you’ve got to dance or start putting that chair up. Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali still wanted it. If he’s healthy and everything’s good with him,” James said of Spence, “he can keep doing what he’s doing.”
“If you’re going to fight, [Terence Crawford is the fight to fight. Finish that deal out,” said Derrick about Spence needing to fight a rematch against Terence Crawford.
