Errol Spence Jr’s Trainer: “He Feels Like He Needs to Prove Himself”

Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KO’s) vs Danny “Swift” Garcia (36-2, 21 KO’s)

Saturday, December 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX

Live on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View      

Errol Spence Jr’s trainer Derrick James speaks on the upcoming bout with Danny Garcia.

“You have to understand there’s a difference in him being the champ and he wants to prove himself, it’s totally different. He feels like he needs to prove himself like when he fought Kell Brook. To prove something to yourself, to prove something to the world, you have to truly challenge yourself to do something that people may not think you can do.

“To come back against somebody who is not as good or is softer, your motivation and inspiration for your own success may not be there as much. Errol wants to be challenged and not only challenged, he wants to prove to the world that he is still the best welterweight in the world.

“You look at Danny Garcia and he probably has the best resume in boxing outside of Manny Pacquiao. The best resume in boxing outside of Manny Pacquiao period. His resume includes Kendall Holt, Zab Judah, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Mauricio Herrera, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Erik Morales twice and Paulie Malignaggi. He beat a lot of people. He fought a lot of guys.

“Nothing, no lingering effects from his accident. And I’m being honest with you. This all falls back on me. Everybody’s ah man, you thought he was ready. Listen, I’m watching him, I am looking at him and I don’t see anything. It’s my eyes and I relayed it to Al Haymon to what I see and what I think so it’s all on me. Well you said he was right. That’s what they’re going to say, what the stories and articles are going to be.

“Derrick James said Errol Spence was good as new. I’m watching him, his reaction time and he’s giving his sparring partners hell. He’s even hungrier than he was before becoming a champ. As a champ, when he fought Kell Brook, when he fought Leonard Bundu, that was like a coming out party, Chris Algieri coming out party. Leonard Bundu was more to solidify who he was, to beat Kell Brook he had to go out and prove it, everybody thought he was going to lose.

“He had to prove something. Now he is back at that same spot, he has the ability to do what he has been training to do for years, which is to fight, and prove to people again, he’s the same old guy and the last guy to beat Shawn Porter. He’s a tough guy. What he and his father have done is amazing. I’m truly amazed what they have done with his career, how he has beaten these guys.

“Garcia is everybody’s favorite underdog, who always comes to fight and always shows up and always shows out. That’s the truth. He’s a great fighter and we can’t overlook him. We can’t overlook Danny Garcia, because Danny Garcia will beat you. You cannot overlook him. That’s for real.

“I could possibly be underrated, I don’t know.  I would be more recognized if I was more of a character, more pompous, more controversial and because I’m not and respectful I think that I can easily be overlooked. If I was more of a character, but I’m not going to be that guy, too many people watch, too many kids, I’m not going to be that guy, it’s not worth it.

“It’s like a dream. I’m just happy to help these young men fulfill their dreams. It’s crazy to even be here, I ended up being a fighter, growing up watching boxing, watching fights, now I’m training fighters that people are watching and creating memories for a lot of people. It’s kind of crazy.

“I’m living my ancestors dream, which I truly am. I’m living Martin Luther King’s dream and I’m living my hater’s dream, because I don’t bother people. What’s your problem, why do you dislike me so much, because I am living their dreams and they can’t take it. So at the same time, I’m happy to be back and I think it’s a pleasure and an honor to be at this place and we just want to make the best of our opportunity and go out there and show the world that Errol Spence is back.

“You will see Errol Spence be the best Errol Spence he can be. It’s beautiful just to be back in Cowboy Stadium with Jerry. As a kid, you grow up watching these things, that’s why nobody can never tell you what you can and can’t do.

“I have been told, stop, get out of boxing. You never going to be anything in boxing. I have been told that before. I’m a kid from East Dallas projects, grew up in Oak Cliff, you’re talking to me, I’m talking to you. You can never believe what people tell you about yourself.

“My last 5 fights were the biggest fights of my career. And what I mean by that, each one of them has topped the one before it. The Mikey Garcia unification bout, Errol fighting a four-division champ biggest fight of my career. The next fight Errol fights Shawn Porter, biggest fight of my career. The next fight Jermell fights Tony Harrison, to get his title back, biggest fight of my career. The next fight, Jermell fights unification bout, biggest fight of my career.

“This one is bigger than all of those because of everything that it entails, Errol coming back, the accident, all of that stuff makes it bigger because there’s more emphasis, it’s more about us getting back to where he was and so this is the biggest fight of my career without a doubt.”