From the moment Terence Crawford broke into the welterweight division in 2018, Derrick James had a feeling that both he and his unified star, Errol Spence Jr., would eventually have to meet in the ring.
So far, both fighters have kept their end of the bargain. With the Dallas product recently scoring a 10th-round knockout victory over Yordenis Ugas while clinching his WBA welterweight title in the process, the powerful southpaw has entered talks with Team Crawford to fully unify the division.
Although Crawford’s reign as WBO champion has been dominant, he has long been criticized for his level of opposition. But regardless of whether the Omaha, Nebraska natives face lesser-known foes, James has always been impressed by the way he’s handled them in the ring. As the former coach of the year continues to analyze Crawford’s impressive attributes, he can’t help but praise him in superlative words.
“Crawford is a great fighter,” James told Airshow Sports. “You just have to be able to deal with his speed and his athleticism. It is a great task”.
Since conquering the 135 and 140 pound divisions, Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) has been arguably even more dominant during his welterweight career. Despite facing bigger and stronger men, now 34 years old, he has stopped every welterweight opponent he has faced, including the normally tough Shawn Porter in his last appearance in the ring.
Overall, though subjective, Crawford’s name usually sticks out at the top of the almost pound-for-pound list, a sentiment James has no problem with. Having fought some of the best fighters the 147-pound division has to offer, the world-renowned trainer knows full well that a matchup with Crawford presents a variety of issues. Still, even with numerous Hall of Famers who believe the chips are against Spence (28-0, 22 KOs), James is eager to show that his unified star is more than ready to topple Crawford. .
“It is a phenomenal task, but we are up to the task.”
