“He Won’t Be So Drained…”: With Rumors About a Potential Rematch, Errol Spence Jr’s Trainer Details What Will Be Different at 154

Will Errol Spence Jr. be able to redeem himself against the boxing mastery of Terence Crawford? His trainer confirms he will. Ace boxing coach Derek James has broken down the factors that did not favor Spence Jr. in his fight against Crawford. What are they? Not the weight, according to the trainer.

On the 29th of July, both pound-for-pound fighters entered the ring at the iconic T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to determine who amongst them was the better fighter. The stakes? A historic unification of all titles in the welterweight division. The result? A landslide victory for ‘Bud’ through a 9th round knockout. The aftermath? A winter rematch that is all set to rekindle the infamous competition.

Derek James spills the beans over the coveted Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. Rematch

As soon as Spence Jr. conceded defeat against Crawford, he invoked the rematch clause. It furnished him, the one who faced loss, to call for a rematch. Speaking about what the rematch means to his trainee, James said, “You’ll see him you know? He won’t be so drained, he won’t be so depleted or whatever. I mean you’ll see you know?”

Even though the choice for a rematch remained with Spence Jr, the weight at which the fight will be held remained with Bud. While the former wanted the rematch to be held at a heavier weight, Bud pushed for a 147-pound rematch. Many believed that Spence wanted to go up in weight because a heavier weight could mean his chances at victory were easier, given his height. However, his trainer has now rubbished the claims.

James revealed, “That wasn’t the issue, you know what I’m saying? Bud fought a good fight. He had a great game plan, right? So, given to him by his coach, so it’s not like, I mean he the better guy that day.” 

After their initial fight had taken its course, there was a clear consensus. Bud had emerged as the undisputed champion of the weight class. But his notoriety had extended beyond the titles he had just bagged. He was now a fighter who had made history despite being ridiculed on multiple occasions by his critics. ‘The Truth’ was handed his first loss in a 28-fight-long career. However, Bud’s hard-fought victory may have to become a unified champ may have been for naught. He was recently stripped of his IBF welterweight title.

Bud Loses his unified champion status

Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford has lost his IBF Welterweight Championship. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has instead received the claim to the IBF welterweight champion status. Crawford’s undisputed champion status, achieved after defeating Errol Spence Jr. for the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles in July, met a turning point with the IBF’s decision. Originally, Ennis held the IBF interim title. He further stood as the mandatory challenger. Post-Crawford vs. Spence fight, the IBF mandated Crawford to defend his IBF title against Ennis. However, the rematch clause activated by Spence intervened in the proceedings.

Also Read: “It’s Kind of Biased”: Terence Crawford’s Trainer Shows His Disappointment over ‘Bud’ Getting His IBF Title Stripped

Although Spence’s hiatus led to a delay in mandating an interim defense, the governing body clarified that they aren’t recognizing Spence’s rematch clause as a justification for Crawford’s bypass of a mandatory defense. IBF president Daryl Peoples admitted the oversight in not implementing an interim challenger earlier. He insisted it was an administrative error rather than deliberate action.

The unexpected turn of events saw Ennis ascend to full champion status, reshaping the welterweight division’s landscape. Now, with the developments at hand, the welterweight division is undergoing some interesting changes.

Meanwhile, who do you think the odds will favor for their rematch? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Watch: Eminem and Terence Crawford Celebrate in Locker Room Moments After Creating History