Peter Wells is back this week to give his official Spence vs OCampo prediction and fight preview ahead of this weekend’s IBF welterweight title showdown.
Last weekend’s crowning of pound-for-pound superstar Terence Crawford was the starting juncture of what all in boxing hope to be the lead up to a boxing match that could engulf the sporting world.
Now it is the turn of Errol Spence Jr – the other fresh, young, unbeaten champion with a growing fan base and growing admiration from boxing’s most knowledgeable.
And like his Nebraskan counterpart, Texas’ Spence faces a fellow unbeaten opponent with less experience than himself. The only differing factor being that Spence is the champion, while Crawford was the challenger.
It has been just over a year since ‘The Truth’ was revealed to a worldwide audience as Spence 23-0(20KO’s) came out on top in Kell Brook’s Sheffield backyard to rip away the IBF Welterweight title in 11 rounds. A dominant display against the capable Lamont Peterson ended after 7 rounds, when a compassionate corner had seen enough.
Now it is Mexico’s inexperienced Carlos Ocampo who steps in as mandatory challenger, with the unenviable task of dethroning the 2012 Olympian.
His most notable win came in 2015 when he outscored seasoned gatekeeper Jorge Paez Jr. But one is scratching at the surface to find a win that will hold him in good stead on Saturday night.
But it may just be that naivety at world level that could benefit Ocampo 22-0(13KO’s) the most. But in equal measure it could lead to a very quick downfall.
Looking at it from an optimists point of view, Ocampo has nothing to lose, thus he can fight like that too. He also has yet to find his own limitations, and his full arsenal of strengths. Putting it all on the line he could just surprise himself as well as the millions watching.
However, a pessimistic view would lead to the conclusion that the IBF ranking him as their number 1 challenger without warranting such a standing have dropped Ocampo straight in the deep end. His inexperience of fighting anyone with a style like Spence, let alone being near the level of the champion, should lead to a one-sided confidence sapping defeat.
Whatever potential Ocampo has, it won’t be discovered in Frisco, Texas this weekend. This will be Spence’s showcase from start until the end, and that end won’t take too long to come.
Even when affording Ocampo the benefit of the doubt to stick it out when in deep trouble, it is hard to go against Spence concluding this contest around or inside the halfway mark.
Snapping out the jab early, Spence will get to grips with his challenger, and once he has his man figured out, Errol will get down to business. Ocampo will offer his own form of resistance early on, but by round 6 it will be man down, as Spence drops Ocampo multiple times before the contest is stopped.
Another knockout, another statement, another twitter meltdown, and another reason to get hyped about the biggest fight in the boxing business.
