WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-0 (22) appears on track to meet WBO boss Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 38-0 (29) in a four-belt unification bout following his 10th round stoppage victory of Yordenis Ugás 27-5 (12) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday night.
Ugás, who entered the bout as the WBA champion, was competitive early before southpaw Spence started to figure him out and break him down by the middle rounds.
The fight was eventually stopped at by referee Laurence Cole at 1:44 of the 10th when Ugás’ right eye was almost swollen shut. At the time Spence was leading 88-82, 88-82 and 88-83.
“I think when the fight first started, I was kind of impatient,” Spence said. “Late rounds, when I started setting my shots up, and placing my shots and picking my shots, and not throwing it hard, but letting them go, I was catching him a lot and working him down. I felt him breaking down, because he wasn’t throwing like he usually does.”
Cole sent Ugás to the corner late in the eighth so that the ringside physician could check his vision before the fight resumed.
“I kept punching and I thought the ref was going to stop it a lot earlier,” Spence said.
In the sixth Ugás landed a punch that knocked out Spence’s mouthpiece. Ugás followed up with a one-two to the head that sent Spence staggering towards the ropes.
“I’ve got to get a new mouthpiece… It’s not molded to my mouth. Got to bite down real hard for it to stay in my mouth. That’s my fault, a rookie mistake,” Spence said.
“Rookie mistake, too, looking off and looking for my mouthpiece, and then I get punched liked three times. That was my fault, too. Have to protect yourself at all times.”
In the lead-up to the bout Spence was vocal about his desire to face WBO champion Crawford next and he reiterated that after the bout.
“I’ve been saying it this whole week,” Spence said. “One belt to get.”
Crawford was quick to respond on social media, tweeting: “great fight now the real fight happens. No more talk no more side of the street let’s go!!!!”
The 32-year-old Spence of Texas was having his first bout since outpointing former world champion Danny Garcia in December 2020.
Crawford, 34, also a southpaw, last saw action in November when he stopped former world champion Shawn Porter in 10 rounds in the fifth defence of the WBO strap he won from Jeff Horn four years ago.
A bout between Spence and Crawford will have fight fans salivating as it pits the two best welterweights of their generation against each other.