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Ryan Garcia Shames Errol Spence Jr. For Not Paying Derrick James: “F**k is Wrong With You?”

Published 04/14/2024, 9:13 PM EDT

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Errol Spence Jr.s reign as a welterweight champion might be over, but his hunger for glory burns brighter than ever. After a stunning knockout loss to Terence Crawford shattered his dreams of becoming an undisputed champion, Spence Jr. hinted at parting ways with his longtime trainer, Derrick James. “Got to find a new home first,” Spence said cryptically, suggesting a potential change in not just trainers, but perhaps his entire approach towards the fight business. With no intention of retiring, the PBC welterweight has his sights set on greener pastures – the 154-pound junior middleweight division.

However, when Derrick James was asked about his opinion on the New York native fighter’s recent decision, he told NY  Fights, “Who knows? Rich people always buying new houses.” James and Spence Jr were together right from the amateurs, so they had been with each other for more than 12 years. Not only this, another pupil, from James’ stable of fighters, Ryan Garcia slammed Errol Spence Jr, and even gave a slight sneak peek into the reason why the Spence-James professional relationship took a turn for the worse.

Ryan Garcia accuses Errol Spence Jr of disloyalty

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Rising star Ryan Garcia unloaded on the former welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in a fiery rant on Discord, taking aim at Spence’s potential decision to part ways with longtime trainer Derrick James. Garcia’s profanity-laced tirade was centered on the rumors surrounding James’ departure from Errol’s fight camp and his alleged financial mistreatment. The crux of Garcia’s argument seems to be one of loyalty and fair compensation.

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F**k him. He folded, he didn’t want to pay him some money,” Garcia was on full blast, clearly upset by the situation. While acknowledging the business side of boxing, Garcia emphasizes the importance of loyalty. “He been with you your whole career, f**k is wrong with you?” he questioned, highlighting the sentiment that James deserved better after sticking by for such a long time.

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Garcia believes James wasn’t adequately compensated, especially considering Spence’s success with the Dallas-based trainer in his corner. Derrick James also talked about the future of Errol Spence Jr not too long ago.

Derrick James talks about Spence Jr’s future

In a recent interview with Cigar Talk, James spoke with a measured distance that underscored the tension since Spence’s devastating loss to Terence Crawford. “Focused on my other guys,” James said curtly when asked about Spence. The curtness speaks volumes – a stark contrast to the camaraderie that once defined their relationship.

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James seemed unsure of Spence’s future. “Mentally, I guess he’s OK,” he hedges, the tentativeness hinting at unspoken concerns. The cryptic metaphor about chairs and music suggests James believes Spence is at a crossroads – fight or fade. He stated, “I believe when you [participate in your biggest fight and lose], when the song stops playing, you’ve gotta dance or start putting that chair up.

Then he also referred to great fighters, stating, “Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali still wanted it.” So, James believes Spence Jr needs to go after it and get inside the ring again. What are your thoughts about the dynamics between Spence Jr and James following the Crawford loss? Tell us in the comments section.

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports. Having authored close to 2K articles, he is a live-coverage specialist, contributing to the detailed reportage of live boxing events ranging from the Jermell Charlo vs Canelo Alvarez bout to Ryan Garcia vs Gervonta Davis. Moreover, his coverage of the off-court drama between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury received widespread appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha