Ugas trainer: Errol Spence not the fighter he was before his accident

Coach Ismael Salas will probably be within the nook for Yordenis Ugas when Ugas faces Errol Spence Jr on April 16, and feels Spence isn’t the identical fighter he was earlier than the horrific automotive accident that almost ended his profession in 2019.

“I watched Errol Spence combat Shawn Porter after which I watched Errol Spence combat Danny Garcia, after Spence had his accident,” he mentioned. “It was not the identical Errol Spence Jr. I do imagine he misplaced one thing between the Porter and Garcia fights.”

However Salas is hoping that Spence (27-0, 21 KO) is in high kind, in order that Ugas (27-4, 12 KO) can say he beat the most effective model of Errol.

“I wish to face the most effective Errol Spence Jr, as a result of I need the followers to get an important present. This is among the largest fights of the 12 months. If he’s in high situation, then Ugas goes to be prepared to present him a hell of a combat,” the coach mentioned.

Ugas and Salas have labored collectively for years now, and it was with Salas the place Ugas actually discovered himself as a professional fighter, after a trio of setbacks in 2012-14. Their run collectively hit a brand new excessive in 2021, when Ugas retired the legendary Manny Pacquiao.

“Yordenis got here to us with three losses and since then we’ve been beating undefeated guys and going step-by-step up so far of dealing with high fighters. Manny Pacquiao was the most important combat of his profession and Ugas beat him clearly. That was the identical Pacquiao who had beat Keith Thurman in his earlier combat.”

Tactically, Salas has checked out Spence and seen methods for Ugas to drag the upset, which might see Ugas unify his WBA belt with the WBC and IBF titles at the moment held by Spence.

“We have to take up the punching energy of Spence. Everybody is aware of he’s a front-footed fighter who throws bombs from begin to end. It’s no secret that we have to use Spence’s aggressiveness and make it work in our favor,” Salas mentioned.

“It’s been a course of for Ugas to get again so far. He needed to regain his confidence when he first joined our gymnasium. We needed to make a transition from the Cuban fashion and make him extra aggressive. Yordenis Ugas is a grasp of the center distance. He is aware of how you can make you miss and make you pay.”