Eleven days from today, Errol Spence, Jr. (22-0, 19 KO's), the newly crowned IBF Welterweight Champion of the world will make his first defense against veteran and former world champion Lamont Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KO's) at the Barclays Center in New York.
Although Long Island, New York is his birthplace, Spence now resides in DeSoto, Texas, but he is considered Dallas, Texas' champion by many because DeSoto is a suburb of Dallas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
See full Spence full workout on VIDEO below:
It has only been seven months since he dethroned Kell Brook of his IBF Welterweight belt in his hometown of England, a feat rarely seen in boxing. Staying busy is something Spence likes to do and he is continuing to do that by starting 2018 with this fight against Peterson.
Peterson, the former WBO/WBA Super Lightweight, IBF Super Lightweight, and WBA Welterweight Champion will be a big test for Spence, but he is ready for all comers, but his preference is to fight welterweight title holders. And his real sites are on the WBC and WBA champion Keith Thurman, but the ducking has begun, and Thurman is already talking about fighting Spence in 2019.
At the media day, which was held at the R&R Boxing Gym in Dallas, Texas, his home gym, Spence put on a sharp and sound breaking exhibition of what Peterson will feel when they meet in New York.
The sharpness was in his mitt work with his trainer, Derrick James in the middle of the ring in front of a crowd of boxing media and fight fans. Spence was precise with his punches and when they landed, the sound of leather against leather was loud.
Prior to doing his mitt work he had worked the heavy bag and the sound of his punches landing were heavy and hard. His work on the heavy bag lasted for almost thirty minutes non-stop and then he went right to work on the mitts.
As for feeling any pressure in defending his title for the first time, Spence shrugged it off and said "I don't feel any pressure at all, and it couldn't be more pressure than going overseas for my first title fight against Brook in his home town of England." He went on to say that he wants to make a statement in this fight that he is the best welterweight in his division.