Antonio Tarver, a veteran and seasoned boxing commentator, offers his insights to Seconds Out on the fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.
Tarver was incredibly impressed with Crawford’s performance, praising his elite level of skill and strategic control throughout the match.
“I saw a fighter that’s on a real elite level. A smart fighter, a complete fighter that knows his way around the ring. I was so impressed by the way he controlled the whole fight,” Tarver said.
Tarver didn’t hold back on criticizing Spence’s performance, noting a lack of defensive answers and the inability to adjust during the fight.
“I’m amazed by what I saw from Spence. He didn’t seem like he had any answers defensively or didn’t have the ability to make an adjustment and do what he needed to do to stay in this fight. He couldn’t get away from the jab, which beat him all night,” Tarver expressed.
Praise for Crawford’s Execution
Tarver had high praise for Crawford’s strategy and execution, particularly his defensive work and the resulting domination in the match.
“When Terence Crawford was working on defense, you can’t just always be offensive. But the way he went about this fight, the domination, the knock downs, the knockout, it was just a beautifully executed fight by Terence Crawford,” he said.
Tarver expressed concern about Spence’s training and readiness for the match, stating that his trainer should bear some responsibility for the disappointing performance.
“This man wasn’t prepared for Terence Crawford tonight and the trainer got to take some flack for that. He had to know about defense, head movement, feints… His hands up, feet all everywhere, where’s the lessons?” Tarver questioned.
Tarver emphasized his own expertise and offered to help train fighters, suggesting that he can make a significant difference.
“I’ve been out here campaigning as a trainer and I predicted the whole fight. I know boxing and they won’t let me help these guys. They won’t put people in position that can make a difference. I’ve done this at a high level and they know,” he said.
