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Errol Spence wants Canelo at 154 in Texas

Photo by: Tom Casino/Showtime
Fighters Network
17
Sep

ARLINGTON, Texas – Errol Spence Jr. easily blended into the crowd at cavernous AT&T Stadium on Friday, just another spectator in street clothes on hand to witness Canelo Avalrez weigh-in for his title match with Liam Smith.

Of course, what made Spence different is that when he spoke of headlining a card at the home of the Dallas Cowboys one day, it wasn’t just a hallow wish. Spence, who is from nearby DeSoto, Texas and is the mandatory challenger to IBF welterweight titleholder Kell Brook, spoke of unifying all the welterweight titles and then moving up to junior middleweight and facing Canelo at Jerry’s World. Obviously, there is a political divide to overcome between Al Haymon and Golden Boy. He also ruminated on facing the winner  of WBO champ Jessie Vargas and Manny Pacquiao. But Spence (21-0, 18 knockouts) looked at the spacious billion-dollar arena and peered into an infinite future.

“As long as I win this IBF title and then fight (WBC champion) Danny Garcia and then maybe unify the titles and then hopefully there’s a big opportunity for me,” Spence told RingTV.com. “Maybe when I unify the titles, in a year or two I’ll move up and fight Canelo at 154 and fight him here. So it’s a big opportunity for me. I’m young right now so (fighting at AT&T Stadium) — I can definitely see it happening in the future.”

Spence, 26, put on his analyst cap and broke down a fight between himself and Canelo. “We’re both technically sound,” he said. “We both have great fundamentals, both have power and both very explosive. I think it would be a great fight.”



Brook has spoken of possibly moving up to junior middleweight, whereby he would have to vacate the welterweight title, allowing Spence and the next highest, available IBF contender to fight for it. Spence is already back in the gym, following his scintillating sixth-round knockout of Leonard Bundu last month in Coney Island. So if Brook vacates the title, Spence hopes to fight for the title in either late November or December. Beyond that, the match that seems to pique his interest is against Canelo at AT&T Stadium.

“If I could fill it up like Canelo can, that would be great, a dream come true,” Spence said. “I would move up in weight. I walk around in the high 160s, so I would definitely move up (to face Canelo). I’m a big welterweight.”

 

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