Is there such a thing as too much self-belief?
Derrick James thinks so.
The trainer of WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-0 (22) thinks that their next opponent, WBO champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 39-0 (30), is so caught up in his strengths that he doesn’t see his own weaknesses.
“He’s an amazing fighter. He’s very athletic. The most important part of his game is he believes in himself,” James said to Fight Hype.
“He believes in himself too much. You can be so high on yourself that you’re unaware of this and that.”
Texan southpaw Spence, 33, and Nebraskan switch-hitter Crawford, 35, have long been linked to a super-fight. Negotiations fell apart last year but the two boxers took matters into their own hands to nut out a deal that will see them clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 29.
“They respect each other, but at the same time, these are two guys,” James said of their rivalry. “These guys have the fire to fight each other. They just keep it under control. They’re going to save it for July.
“The more they see each other, the more the fire builds. So you think it builds within the fanbase, but it really builds within those fighters. So that’s what it’s about.”
When talks fell apart last year, Crawford moved on to a bout against European champion David Avanesyan, who he stopped in six frames in December.
Prior to that, he stopped normally durable former two-time champion Shawn Porter in 10 rounds in his best win at 147-pounds in November of the previous year.
James has not gone back and rewatched the bout as he doesn’t believe there are any key learnings that will apply to Spence, who will be having his first fight since stopping Yordenis Ugas in 10 rounds in April last year.
“Porter’s father stopped the fight. I didn’t even watch the fight,” said James. “I saw the fight live, and I was watching as a fan of boxing. So, I haven’t really watched it like.
“I’ll just be focused on being successful. I’m fighting for everything that I’ve been building. What Errol is doing what he’s doing, I’m doing the same thing also. So, we’re keeping this train rolling.”
The battle between Spence and Crawford is just one storyline for this fight. The other main one is the clash between James and Crawford’s trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, both regarded as two of the best coaches in the game.
“Everybody is happy that opportunity to show improvement; everybody meaning Terence Crawford and Bomac, Errol and myself, to show who we really are as fighters, trainers, whatever the case may be, and I’m ready for it,” James said.
“You can look at that and say that, but the reality is that’s what it is. It’s cool.”
