Antonio Tarver does not favor Errol Spence by making WBC and WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora after a long layoff. Tarver thinks Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) should get a deal before facing a “killer” like unified champion Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs).
Spence says he doesn’t believe in taking tuneup battles, but the reason for that could be his lack of confidence in his ability to win. For Spence to win a tuneup, it should be combined carefully because if he faces someone with power, we could see a repeat of his loss to Terence Crawford.
Spence Just a Shell After Car Crash
We saw how he struggled against Yordenis Ugas in his fight before facing Crawford, and he looked like a shell of his old self. It made these two look much better than they actually are.
Spence, 34, hasn’t been the same fighter since he crashed his Ferrari 488 Spider in a high-speed car accident on October 10, 2019. Since then, he’s been a shell of himself.
“I don’t like the fight for Spence. The long layoff, the inactivity, and you bring him back against a killer like Fundora,” said Antonio Tarver to Fighthype. “Where are the tune-up fights in the game anymore? Bring a guy back on an eight-rounder and let him get away with it.
The 6’6″ Fundora will be a nightmare for Spence with his size, high work rate and youth. Fundora, 26, is in the prime of his career and will overwhelm what’s left of Spence.
“But it’s all or nothing, it seems. And we don’t know what Spence is going to get back,” Tarver continued. “Why put him under that fire against Fundora? He’s got that reach and that height. How are we going to solve that? This guy’s not a power puncher; he’s a volume puncher. He’s not a power puncher.”
Spence is betting that if he can beat Fundora, he can turn both titles into a rematch with Crawford. It would be a gigantic payday for Spence and it’s worth the gamble he’s making to jump right in with Fundora.
Last updated on 10/22/2024
