Via Jim Calfa: Teddy Atlas saw Errol Spence Jr easily beat Yordenis Ugas this Saturday night in their welterweight unification match on Showtime PPV at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Atlas says IBF/WBC champion 147-lb Spence (27-0.21 KOs) will use his shot to completely nullify WBA champion Ugas’ ability to respond to counter punches. his credit as he had in his recent win over Manny Pacquiao.
As Atlas points out, Pacquiao’s reckless fighting style is the perfect fit for Ugas to be able to return his punch.
However, Spence is a completely different type of fighter than Pacquiao, and he wouldn’t give Ugas such an opportunity to land.
Even if Spence gave the 35-year-old Ugas a chance to land, he would find himself in a gunfight he was not equipped to win due to his unfathomable speed of work and strength.
“Ugas won the skirmish, but it’s over. Pacquiao has made it closer than many people would like to admit,” said Teddy Atlas Fight. “The reason it’s mostly is because Pacquiao did a better job than him.
“I don’t think he’s going to do a better job than Spence, so that means he’s going to have to do what he did with Pacquiao. Atlas talks about Ugas.
Although Ugas beat Pacquiao, it wasn’t the dominant performance type that suggested he would have won if the Filipino star hadn’t been fired for two years.
It was a mistake for Pacquiao not to adjust before returning to the ring after 25 months of being laid off.
Atlas says: “First of all, Spence has a very nice chin. “A puncher counterattacks [like Ugas] need to be in a certain environment at their best. The environment he has with Pacquiao is the right environment.
“A counter puncher needs his opponent to be aggressive and reckless at times. That’s Pacquiao. He dropped it because Pacquiao was too fast, but as he got older he got a bit slower and he paid the price in the fight with Ugas when he was hit with his right hand. Atlas said.
Spence can make this fight as easy as his victory over counter-attacker Mikey Garcia in March 2019. During that fight, Errol stood outside and stabbed the smaller Mikey for the entire fight. , leaving him with very few opportunities to execute his counterattacks.
If Spence did the same to Ugas, this fight would be an overnight and also a tedious one.
Atlas said: “Ugas has that and he can time Pacquiao all night long with his right hand. “Once again, Pacquiao gave him what he needed with ferocity. He won’t get that help from Spence.
“Spence is so big and strong, he is very cautious. Yes, he is fierce, but behind the slam. Everyone thought Mikey Garcia would stand a greater chance against Spence by countering him. No, he doesn’t. Do you know why? Because Spence fooled him.
“When a guy is using his jab from the right distance, it’s very difficult for a puncher to counter in his A game because he needs something to counter.
“When you go in and are in range and control with a jab, you don’t give a counter puncher anything to counterattack. That’s how I see this war. Spence won’t give Ugas what Pacquiao gave him. A target points to where he can time his arrival by the counter.
“He is [Spence] will beat him with knives. He’s going to come in after that pitch, that south throw, and it’s going to take a lot of Ugas’ games.
“I chose Spence because of what I just said. I think it will go far. Another thing about Spence that bodes well for him. Spence defends well, Spence is a good bodybuilder.
“You can break men’s defenses a little bit when you go to the body. I’ll go with Spence,” Atlas said.
