By: Hans Themistode
Being a great fighter just isn’t good enough. At least according to unified Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
At the moment, the Dallas native is sitting at a table with a pen in his hand waiting to sign a contract. The names that he has been most linked to are WBA belt holder Manny Pacquiao, WBO titlist Terence Crawford and former two division world champion Danny Garcia. One name that is currently trying to place himself into the mix however, is Welterweight contender Yordenis Ugas.
Pacquiao, Crawford and Garcia all share a few things in common. They aren’t only great fighters but they also bring a certain level of cachet to the table.
Simply put, neither of those aforementioned fighters can walk to their respective drug store or go out on a midday stroll without getting mobbed by fans. Especially in the case of Pacquiao.
Ugas on the other hand, can go unnoticed.
His low profile suits him. He isn’t loquacious and may even come across as introverted. Inside of the ring however, it’s a whole different story.
The phrase “I let my fists do the talking for me,” is a great way to describe Ugas. But while that has led him to winning ten of his past eleven fights, it won’t get him on the radar of Spence.
“Ugas is a good fighter,” Spence told Brian Custer, a Showtime broadcaster. “He’s a very good fighter. I think he’s a guy that, you know, that’s always extremely focused. He has, you know, that Cuban training factor, where, you know, he’s always training, he’s always focused. It looks like he’s always in shape. But, you know, as far as big names, he’s not a big name. You know, I think that’s the only knock to him. You know, a great fighter, but not a big name. I mean, he’s not Danny Garcia, not Pacquiao, you know, he’s not Terence Crawford.”
At one point, Spence was once in that same position. Screaming for a big fight at the top of the mountain tops while most who were at the top of said mountain barely heard him. In fairness though, Ugas did receive his shot at stardom in a 2019 contest against Shawn Porter. To the chagrin of those watching at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, Porter was given the split decision win.
The bitter taste of defeat was quickly washed away following two wins over Mike Dallas Jr and Omar Figueroa Jr. Now, he finds himself rated third in the WBC rankings. A belt that Spence just so happens to hold position of. Still, it’ll take more than a climb up the rankings to entice Spence into fighting him.
“That’s the only knock to him. Once he gets there, once he gets behind me, then I’ll turn around and we’ll fight. But, you know, right now, you know, it’s not a guy that, you know, I’m just gonna be calling out to fight because, I mean, hardcore boxing people know him. But outside of that, you know, nobody know who he is.”