Errol Spence Jr. should take some time off before fighting Terence Crawford again.
That is according to Teddy Atlas. Spence was dominated in a one-sided fight as he suffered three knockdowns on his way to being stopped in the ninth round. Following the fight, however, Spence did express his intention to have a rematch, which he has indicated by exercising his rematch clause. However, the amount of punishment he took has raised question marks over his decision to get back into the ring to face Crawford immediately. After all, prior to their fight, Spence had been through a brutal fight with Yordenis Ugas, as well as having recovered from two car crashes. That is why Atlas has advised Spence not to take the fight straight away.
“Look, I know there’s good people behind Spence. I know they don’t hate the kid, but really, I think it’s something that needs to be rethought a little bit. Definitely not for a while, even if you got that route, but not for a while. Let him [Spence] rest, and not even in the gym. Sparring, I don’t mean just in the fight. Give him the rest that he needs, quite frankly,” Atlas said
Those comments were also backed up by Paulie Malignaggi. However, the latter questioned the need for a rematch at all. This was on the basis that the one-sided nature of the fight meant that a rematch would hold up other bigger fights against Jermell Charlo and Canelo Alvarez.
“I’m on the same page as you, Teddy. I don’t want to see the match. I don’t think there’s a necessity for the rematch. This is how boxing gets a bad name. “It gets a good name for making that fight where everyone was waiting for it, and it finally got made where boxing doesn’t make all the fights that it needs to. Now, all of a sudden, you sign a two-fight deal,” Malignaggi