Errol Spence Jr. made headlines when he called his training camp for the Terence Crawford fight 'trash'.
What happened?
He was beaten by Crawford in 2023, suffering two knockdowns before being stopped in the ninth round.
Derrick James, Spence's former trainer, responded to the comments on The Last Stand podcast.
James acknowledged that preparations were not ideal, citing a busy gym and multiple training camps.
Why it matters for Errol Spence Jr.
James had been overseeing training camps for Anthony Joshua and Frank Martin at the same time.
He refused to be blamed for the lack of sparring, stating that Spence did spar for two weeks but suffered an injury.
What comes next?
Spence returns to the ring on July 25 to face Tim Tszyu, with Ronnie Shields as his new trainer.
James stressed that nothing should detract from Crawford's performance on the night.
Crawford's win was a significant one, and James gave him full credit for the victory.
Spence's preparation
Spence's training camp for the Crawford fight was not up to par, according to James.
The gym was busy, and James was juggling multiple training camps at the same time.
This led to a different preparation protocol for Spence, which may have affected his performance.
Spence's injury also played a role in his lack of sparring, according to James.
He said Spence's father decided to stop sparring after the injury, which may have impacted his readiness for the fight.
The details of Spence's training camp and injury have shed new light on his loss to Crawford.
As Spence prepares to face Tszyu, he will be looking to put the issues of his past training camp behind him.
With a new trainer and a fresh start, Spence will be aiming to get back to his winning ways on July 25.