I underestimated him alot I keep seeing his body punches and he fights very beautiful. His body is freakish I've never seen a welterweight as leaned our as him. He's so muscular yet very lean not to bulky. If he is the ibf champion which has a 10 pound weight limit rehydration weight .He must be around 157 fight night if he goes by that rule . People say he looks like a middleweight yet I don't see it .I believe his size is over exaggerated to me he looks as a Jr middleweight at most. A very strong super middleweight. As lean as he is he's got great genetics. His body punches are beautiful I hope I can see him fight the other welters soon hopefully someone like Danny Garcia. Edit : can someone give me an estimate on maybe how long can Spences prime will last ?
spence is p4p one of the best fighters in boxing today. his skills are A level and his strength and style make him elite. imo, spence, mikey and crawford are very tightly matched, each bringing a different combination of attributes that make each one a top fighters of this era. spence should remain a top fighter for another 5 years. his strength and high pressure style is not as dependent on reflexes as another style might be.
His offensive skills are A level his defensive skills are not so impressive, he's not a complete fighter. He has a basic high guard, doesn't move his head much, his stance is too wide and he doesn't move that well, far from flat footed but his footwork isn't anything special. But what he is as OP pointed out is a physical beast. He can be out boxed as Brook did early in their fight but his athleticism, strength and pressure saw him turn it around. He won't be an easy fight for anyone, but he has flaws to exploit.
I think Spence Jr is a very worthy champion. Is he in the top-level of P4P guys? IMO, not quite. I think Spence Jr is just physically too big/strong for Mikey - even though I think Mikey brings more skills. So I gotta believe Spence Jr win this win by mid-late stoppage. I hope we see Spence Jr stick around long enough at 147 lbs. to see him matched up with Jaron Ennis. Jaron still has much to prove in the next 18 months - but if he steps up - a Spence Jr/Ennis fight would be outstanding.
he fights his fight confident that its getting the job done, and so far he has been absolutely correct. he is like mikey in the sense that theyve never been put in a position where plan A is not working. i notice the little things spence does in between smashing his victims, he knows how to do it all. he is an agressive pressure fighter who specializes in breaking down bodies. he is elite at doing this. should he concentrate more on defense and counter punching, he would no longer be an elite, agressive pressure fighter. in 2 weeks, both spence and mikey are going to be put in a position where plan A is not working according to plan, and everyone will see what i already see, both these guys can do it all.
You've pointed out what many people fail to see. Spence I remember came to the ring at 156lbs in one of his recent fights, meaning he's 1" taller and maybe 6-7lbs heavier than prime welterweight Mayweather in the ring. He's not that big and potentially might be at welterweight longer than a lot of people think. He's so leaned out and shoulders are wide , it gives the impression he's bigger than he is. Visually he looks to be busting at the seams. Don't be surprised if they show us the fight night weights and Garcia and Spence are both 156lbs in the ring. Spence turns 30 tomorrow actually. No spring chicken anymore, but should be able to keep his current physical form for another 3 years due to his lack of wear and tear. He's never been in a genuine war. However, he is known to engage in many ring wars in training (his sparring is brutal) and his general training regime is spartan-like. All that will take the years off of you. He'll eventually get to 154lbs , but he'll wait for Charlo and Hurd to clear out I think. There's just too many good bouts at WW: Porter, Thurman , Crawford, Garcia, Ennis, etc.
Man I actually spent alot of time criticizing Spence I missed so much of his potential ..... He's a great specimen a natural welterweight in my eyes. The dudes wide shoulders very leaned out. Long reach 72inches usually 5'9 guys have 69 inch reach . Hes taken no damage but a pure specimen of athleticism ,power ,youth , I don't see how is labeled a weight bully ?? At 147 they exagerate so much .
Dont forget the headbutt that helped turn the tide and possibly the outcome of that fight. I like spence but as you said defensively hes not that great. Hes there to be hit. His movement is also going to be exploited by a guy who can move and punch. Crawford will make him look ordinary and if Thurman can shake off the rust he could give Spence some problems too. My guess is Mikey is going to stay on the move and try to pick spence apart from the outside.
Such a mature thread,serious talk about Spence and his physique and not one mention about those huge,ass nips............d'oh think I'd better get me coat?
Crawford/Spence would be competitive early but I agree eventually the extra dimension Crawford has to his game would become apparent and he'd take over and win a clear UD. Thurman is dangerous if he gets back to his old form but I've always thought Spence matched up with him well and would grind him down. Agree about Mikey trying to box and move vs Spence. His movement is his greatest and most underrated asset as a fighter and I think he'll give Spence some issues with it. But in the end Spence will break him down, he's too big and strong and Mikey isn't exactly the most adept defensive fighter, he has the foot work but not the upper body movement and elusive style to go with it.
IMO he is overrated by people who have a fetish for beastly bodies. I think if a motivated Broner shows up, Spence is in all kinds of trouble. chiseled abs and nips aside.
mikey will be keeping the fight at mid range. he cant beat spence from the outside, his legs are just as good and he is much longer. he cant beat him on the inside, spences body attack is too strong and relentless. he will stay at a distance where he can slip, roll with and parry shots but remain in position to counter. he will do a lot of pivoting to spences right, in order to create new punching angles and take spences left from him.
