Former world champion Tim Bradley has publicly supported trainer Derrick James’s account of the Errol Spence Jr. training camp before his loss to Terence Crawford. Bradley is now challenging Spence to address claims that the fighter and his father made key decisions about preparation.
The public dispute follows Spence’s previous criticism of his former trainer’s methods. However, James recently gave his side of the story, prompting Bradley to weigh in. The central conflict revolves around the decision not to spar in the final weeks before the fight. According to Bradley, James alleges that directive came from Spence’s father to hide a rib injury. Bradley stated, “Derrick James telling it all. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t him that told you, ‘Don’t spar.’ No, it was Errol Spence’s dad. That’s who it was.”
James also disputed Spence’s claims about a lack of intensity during pad work and inadequate preparation for Crawford’s southpaw stance. Bradley relayed James’s rebuttal to the accusation about the mitt work, saying, “And he said you said that he ain’t throw no punches at you during the pad work. He said that’s fugazi. He said go look at the film.” Furthermore, James asserted that the camp began with appropriate sparring partners to prepare for a switch-hitter. Bradley confirmed James’s account: “He said the first two sparring partners that you sparred, they were switch-hitters,”
With two conflicting narratives now in the public domain, Bradley insisted that the situation demands a response from the former champion. He framed the issue as a matter of truth, putting the pressure firmly on Spence to clarify the facts. Bradley remarked, “There’s three sides: the truth, the other side and then the other side.” The trainer has defended his reputation against pointed criticism, and the focus now shifts entirely to Spence. His response will directly impact the established narrative surrounding one of the most significant defeats of his professional career.
