Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t think Errol Spence Jr. wants any part of fighting Ryan Garcia after the two exchanged words on social media.
Ryan (25-1, 20 KOs) called out the former unified welterweight champion Spence (28-1, 22 KOs), saying, “Let’s do it.” However, Spence doesn’t seem interested in, belittling Ryan by saying he doesn’t do “tune-ups.”
“Trust me, Errol Spence Jr. does not want the smoke [against] Ryan Garcia,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya on X.
Spence’s Eyes Are on Greener Pastures
Spence then mentioned WBC/WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora as someone he’s interested in fighting. It’s possible that Errol’s management at PBC has already targeted Fundora as his next opponent, so they’re not going to go in a different direction toward a fight against Ryan, even though it would probably make him more money.
If Spence can beat Fundora to capture the WBO & WBC 154-lb titles, that would lead to potentially lucrative fights against Tim Tszyu and a rematch with Terence Crawford. That’s where the big money comes in.
It’s a big if whether Spence will beat Fundora, but if he does win, it gives him bait to lure Crawford for a big-money rematch or a fight against Tszyu. That fight would play out well in Australia, where there would be pay-per-view dough.
Spence looks so shot at this stage of his career that he would likely be food for Ryan Garcia or any talented fighter from 140 to 154.
Crawford is an excellent fighter, but Spence’s physical deterioration is the main reason their fight was such a mismatch last July. If Spence fought any of the top 147 and 154-pounders, the same thing would have happened to him.
Guys like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Erickson Lubin would have had a feeding frenzy if they’d fought Spence last July.
Risk vs. Reward
Ryan is too risky for Spence, and even though the money would be good, it would ruin Errol’s chances for a series of nice paydays against Fundora, Tszyu, and Crawford if he were to lose.
If you look at it strategically, Spence’s management at Premier Boxing Champions is better off moving him toward the 6’5 1/2″ Fundora than Ryan Garcia because he’s not fast or powerful.
The way Spence has looked in his last five fights, he’s not the same fighter he once was in his prime. He’s lost a lot from his game from age, injuries, ring wear, car accidents, and putting on weight.
Spence has shown that he’s on the decline in these last five fights:
– Terence Crawford
– Yordenis Ugas
– Danny Garcia
– Shawn Porter
– Mikey Garcia