Stafford, the Cincy-based tutor who has been with Broner since the boxer was in short pants, said pros were present during this session in Colorado Springs, helping amateurs get seasoning. Errol was a bigger guy, Broner smaller, but Broner worked with Spence anyway. “They worked good together,” said Stafford, who told me it was his idea to bring pros in to help the young ‘uns excel. Barry Hunter was there, Roach too and Joe Zanders was the head coach of the amateurs then. Lamont Peterson, Peter Quillin, Broner, they went to Colorado. “Errol had no sparring, really, beyond Lamont Peterson, so ‘AB’ was doing him a favor. Errol and AB were sparring; there was no ref. Both were hitting each other with good shots. Then Errol hit Adrien after the bell, the same way (Jose) Uzacategui hit (Andre) Dirrell (last weekend). It was like that. Adrien was staggered. Errol’s saying he got knocked down. Errol should have said what happened. People think there were like two minutes left in sparring. This was between two fighters. At the end of the day, they need to make each other better. It’s like Errol is trying to make a name for himself.”
I asked, then, what Stafford thinks will happen Saturday, when the Texan meets the Brit IBF 147-pound beltholder Kell Brook in England, with the winner being seen perhaps as the best in the welterweight division, or second in line behind WBA/WBC titlist Keith Thurman. “I’m not gonna comment,” Stafford said. “I’m kind of pissed Spence was talking about that sparring.”
Stafford said that sparring is sparring. It is what it is and what happens in sparring should stay in sparring.
He noted that Adrien knocked Shawn Porter down a few times in sparring but, when they fought, Porter got the “W.” “What matters is what happens when the hot lights come on,” the coach said.
“I still love Errol; AB loves Errol. There’s no no beef but I need to set the record straight,” Stafford said. “It was the last round, of four, and Adrien wanted another round. In my gym, in Cincinnati, we would have done another round!”
Did Errol Spence Jr. really wobble Adrien Broner in sparring? - The Ring
Errol hit us with a cheap shot
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