Trainer Derrick James is a very busy man these days. In addition to being the trainer of junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo, he also trains IBF, WBC welterweight Champion Errol Spence.
Spence is getting ready for a very important fight in a few months against the legendary Manny Pacquiao. The fight is a pay-per-view matchup that already has the sport buzzing, and James is also excited.
Spence defeated Danny Garcia in November of last year and James insists that Spence has been a gym rat ever sense. Spence defeated Garcia by unanimous decision in a terrific first fight back from a horrific auto accident one year prior.
“It’s going phenomenal,” said James to Fight Hub. “Just working, digging deep. He started going to the gym; he fought Danny (Garcia) on Saturday, on Sunday he went running; he didn’t come (to the gym) Monday, but on Tuesday, he’s been in the gym ever since then.”
James then reflected on the timing of a fight like this. For years and years everyone in the sport has called for a fight with Manny Pacquiao, because it is the most lucrative option out there, and there was even talk of Terence Crawford possibly landing that opportunity.
But the opportunity came to Spence instead.
“I think that a lot of times in life people always ask for something when they really don’t deserve it or they’re really not prepared to receive it,” said James. “And it never really happens, right, because you’re really not ready to receive it but with this one, he’s been ready, he’s been prepared, this is what he’s really been wanting was this type of fight, this fight in particular. So I’m happy, I’m happy for him.”
Manny Pacquiao may now be 42 years old but James isn’t gonna let that deter him. After all, Manny is coming off a very impressive victory over Keith Thurman two years ago.
“Manny Pacquiao is so smart and he’s been training for like months and months and months. So he knows what he wants. He knows you just can’t train for a fight and train for like a couple days, six to eight weeks. He’s been training for months so he’s gonna be ready, man.”
James then compared Pacquiao to another legend in the boxing game.
“We won’t see any rust on him and I think he’s like a Bernard Hopkins type of fighter. B-Hop very intelligent, very smart, and the older he got the better he got. But I think they’re two different type of fighters because Bernard is more technical and Manny, his athleticism is his greatest (asset) and his tenacity, is what he leans on the most,” said James.
Sounds like a barnburner of a fight is coming our way.
