Spence isn't a great fighter...

Who is saying Spence is an ATG? He MAY be one but he has a long way to go. I think Lomo is a wonderful boxer but I have a hard time calling a boxer with under 30 bouts an ATG. Sure, he is a amateur ATG.

Joshua KOing Ali? Puleez....no way and I'm not a huge Ali fan. Neither will you see me in the Classic section saying Jeffries or Dempsey would kill all these guys today etc.

Personally I think we will look back on these days and say we were in a Golden Age. Lomo, GGG , Clenyellow, Etc are very very good and could hang in there with the best of the last. The EE guys have been changing the landscape of boxing.

Oh and I've been watching boxing since I was a kid in the 1950's. The old man would have the little B&W tv going on Friday night and he'd claim all these new guys are pansies. Guys like Robinson, Patterson, Moore, Etc. But not Marciano because he was Italian!

 

Roman Gonzalez I believe to be is the only exception there. He's an ATG and still active. Last years retirements were all so huge, lost a few that were ATG's or a closer conversation than anybody active.

Crawford for example, "one of the best P4P" at the moment, is a long way away from achieving an ATG standing. ATG is a big deal, no insult to say none are but it is odd, usually there's a couple doing their thing established enough to be known as an ATG during their career.

 

As a 28 year old PBC fighter, Spence will grow old (past his prime) before facing the type of opponents required to become an ATG.

 

Ye of little faith

 

I first saw Spence in the 2012 Olympics and I was instantly impressed, he and JoJo Diaz were clearly the two best fighters on the American team. I can't understand the boxing fans that consider him basic, one dimensional, and "nothing special." He's a young fighter who is still relatively early in his career and to me he progresses and improves with every fight. He might even be my favorite active fighter. I think he has a lot of subtle skill and does a lot of small things that go unnoticed and underappreciated by a lot of boxing fans, very similar to GGG in that regard. He hasn't even hit his prime yet, though I think soon he will be entering his prime, and he has indisputably, conclusively, and comprehensively beat everyone put in front of him and has seemingly made it pretty clear that few in his weight class-- if any -- have anything for him outside Bud Crawford. I think Bud is a very good fighter who does some things that might give Errol some small problems early in a fight but I think overall Spence would break him down and knock him out mid rounds relatively easily. I think hes a special fighter and will go down as a great when all is said and done. He's only 24 fights into his career and has a very solid resume and some nice scalps already and has flat out pieced up everyone that's stepped in the ring with him. And regardless of anyone's opinion of him as a boxer -- the kid inarguably has elite world-class p4p nips.

 

Yes, I would love to see more fighters like this nowadays. And it wouldn't really matter that much if they lose from time to time.

 

Spence might get Garcia when he beats Porter. I say he will.

If Porter wins, he will avoid Spence.

Arum will marinate Crawford fight too long for Spence to still effectively make 147.

Thurman will not return until 2019. Then he will insist on 2-3 tune up fights before considering a fight with Spence.

Finally, PBC has too many fighters on its roster to allow Spence more than 2-3 (most likely 2) fights per year.

That said, Father Time is undefeated and boxing is a jealous sport. Although you clearly disagree, I strongly believe Spence will waste his prime waiting around for the big fights.

I’m interested to read your response, with a realistic timeline (opponents and estimated dates) to Spence’s ATG status.

 

Has anyone seen prime Spence yet?? I dont think so...

 

That's the problem today in boxing more than anything else. People talk in this thread like Spence is a "kid" or a "prospect", the man is 28yrs old. If he's not prime now, he never will be. Same goes for Terrance Crawford....guy turns 31 in September.

Spence is elite. He's a physical beast and has a simple style that's incredibly effective, just airtight.

He can be "great", but a lot has to happen in the next two years. Evidently they trying to get a fight in with Ugas before the end of the year (to clear out this mandatory), and then targeting the winner of Garcia v. Porter in Q1 next year.

I'd love to see Keith take his first tuneup before the end of the year and matchup with the loser of Garcia v. Porter before going all marbles in for Errol Spence.

Of course all leading up to Crawford. Errol Spence can be truly great...but they gotta make the fights.

 

I agree. Spence needs the big fights to show his greatness. I saw some glimpses of greatness when he fought Brook.

 

There are a few of us old aszHoles on here bro

 

Spence is not a great fighter now.. That is going to be told after many years of fighting the best and having his name linked with legends. It takes so much time for that to happen. For some reason to young fans now, they start saying a fighter is great after a few good wins. A career takes superfights and fights against other greats to link them to eras.. Before they can be great they have to win or loss be linked to an era where they fought the best and prevailed at times. Spence is so far from that.