Terence Crawford’s coach, Bernie ‘Tha Boxer’ Davies, predicts WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Funsora will stop Errol Spence Jr. and send him into retirement when they fight in October.
Bernie says Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) beat a bigger puncher than Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) with his twelve-round split decision win against WBO 154-lb champion Tim Tszyu last March.
Davies feels Spence won’t be able to find the same success at 154 that he did when he was fighting at welterweight, where he held three belts until being stopped in the ninth round by Crawford last July.
Spence Will Struggle at Junior Middleweight
Despite Bernie feeling that Spence will lose to the 6’6″ ‘Towering Inferno’ Fundora, he still feels he has a lot more to give the sport, but NOT at junior middleweight against this guy.
“I think they’re smart by staying away from Bud Crawford,” said Bernie ‘Tha Boxer’ Davis to Fighthype about Sebastian Fundora reportedly planning to vacate his WBO junior middleweight title ahead of his fight against Errol Spence in October.
Even if Spence did want to fight an immediate rematch with Crawford, he wouldn’t get it. Crawford is focused on becoming undisputed at 154, and he’s facing WBA champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd. Crawford will only fight Spence now if he defeats Fundora to capture his WBC junior middleweight title.
“I got Fundora. I don’t see Spence being a dominant junior middleweight. He’s got good name value. I don’t think he hits as hard as Tim Tszyu. I’m picking Fundora in that fight. I don’t think he’s got one-punch KO power. I don’t see him dominating against these guys.
Fundora’s “Towering Inferno”
“I could see the ‘Towering Inferno’ [Fundora] loading up on him and hitting him with the kitchen sink. Maybe a little sympathy,” said Bernie when asked about his thoughts on Spence, saying on X that this might be the last time boxing fans see him.
Fundora will try to knock out Spence, but it won’t be easy because he fights well against taller guys, and this fighter isn’t in the same league as Crawford. Spence had problems against Crawford because he was weight-drained and coming off a year layoff.
“I think he still has got more to give. I don’t know how dominant he’ll be, but I still think he has a lot more to give,” said Davies. “But he already accomplished a lot. If he chooses to retire, that’s on him. He probably is going to retire if Fundora beats his a**. Fundora is going to beat his a**.”
Bernie is right about Spence’s likely retirement if he loses to Fundora. It would be pointless for Spence to stick around if he can’t beat this guy because that would signal that he won’t be a factor in junior middleweight.
“I don’t see him beating Fundora. You got Crawford around. I might as well quit. I might as well go somewhere else. I might as well retire,” said Bernie.
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