Vinny’s Views: Errol Spence, JR Vs Carlos Ocampa – The Stats, The Facts & The Fight Prediction Is In!

By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci

I wonder if IBF President Daryl Peoples walks around singing Steve Miller lyrics to himself all day; you know, “Some people call me the space cowboy, some call me the gangster of love…” Truly he must feel more like the Joker than Cesar Romero ever did. If you’re a serious fan and haven’t kept abreast of IBF rankings than perhaps you should. Case in point, they conveniently leave open the mandatory contender slot, as well as the number two position, over and over again division after division. Why they can’t fill those slots in a timely fashion is a true indication of self -promoting business like tactics since the competing WBA, WBC, and WBO have their houses in order for better or worse.

Sadly, when you can’t take an alphabet organization’s ranking seriously than how could you possibly want to throw down your hard earned cash to sit in an arena to view a main event title fight against a mandatory challenger that wouldn’t fill a west coast gym sparring session?

The Event:

June 16 with a straight face both TGB and Zanfer Promotions will promote the IBF Welter weight title defense of Errol Spence, JR. Vs Carlos Ocampa at a venue to be determined in the champions hometown of Dallas Texas. (The Star, in Frisco Dallas has been mentioned as top candidate to host.) The Championship match is to be televised by Showtime Boxing. Yours truly can’t wait to hear how their four man panel of expert commentators passes this one off on the public.

The Stats:

IBF Welter weight champion Errol Spence, JR. has quickly passed his moniker of “The Truth” in rear view mirror having established a legacy known to fans simply as “Spence” after his thrilling title victory of Kell Brook in May of 2017. The American boxer is a native of Long Island, N.Y. and now calls Texas home. The talented southpaw stands a hair under 5’10” and has a wingspan of 72.” If totally focused on building his resume with quality fights beyond this debacle then he is just approaching his prime at 28. He owns an unblemished and uncontested ledger of 23-0, 20 KO’s. It’s stated here “uncontested” as he has not a single fight on resume that suggests an unfair decision or stoppage. In typical IBF fashion Errol never beat top contenders to earn his title shot but has made good his boasts by destroying Brook and then taking on the seasoned challenger Lamont Peterson who had just dropped his WBA title to accept the fight.

Challenger Carlos Ocampo was number 3 ranked contender by IBF and elevated to mandatory status. Know to fans in Latin America as “Chema” and virtually unknown throughout the world. The competing WBA, WBC, AND WBO fail to rank this legend in the making in their top fifteen slots. If you’re counting that’s 45 rankings he failed to make on combined boxing radar. Readers of Ringside Report may call that sarcasm, we call it facts. The Mexican fighter hails from Mexico and has never fought outside his country nor has he faced a contender, or even a known journeyman. At 22 years of age he has accumulated a home grown record of 22-0, 13 KO’s. Try as I might to do my homework Ocampo’s height and reach are not confirmed anywhere on internet, not even on promotional sites for this event! Using promotional pictures of Ocampo versing Daniel Echeverria who stands 5’10” with a 73” reach it’s estimated he stands an even 6’ tall with a 73” wingspan.

Previous Fight:

Unable to secure a fight with WBA champion Keith Thurman who has been side lined with a shoulder injury Spence, JR. elected to pick a voluntary opponent who truly had name value and could test him on paper. If, he had picked Ocampo as his voluntary defense both fans and media would have ostracized his corner’s decision making and accused him of ducking worthy competition. His first defense of title ended by RTD in 7th round at Barclay’s Center, Brooklyn N.Y. Peterson was coming off a title winning victory over David Avanesyan and had a well-traveled resume of 35-3-1, with 17 KO’s. His resume was also decorated with bouts against both champions and contenders. Matching Spence, JR. in height, reach and experience he was broken down over seven grueling rounds both mentally and physically.

Ocampo last fought in Chihuahua stopping thirty three year old Dario Ferman by TKO in 7 rounds last November. The thrilling victory for Ocampo’s family and fan club in no way prepared him for the table being set this June.

Styles:

The champion is an all-around complete fighter who walks his adversary down behind heavy handed southpaw jab looking to invade the pocket where he unleashes a brutal body attack with both hands usurping position to expose the chin for a clean knock out. A flat footed boxer who can control pace of bout with guard held high in ring center pivoting for position rather than chasing his foe. Rarely does he lose a round.

The challenger looks like a tall bantam weight lacking any muscle mass with spindle arms and pencil thin legs. He officially weighed in for his last fight a pound under the weight limit of 147 lbs. He is a rare commodity who doesn’t appear to rehydrate before ring walk, not even a 12 ounce bottle of spring water. Ocampo having been matched exclusively against local “talent” has developed a style of being a flat footed boxer who circles the ring looking for an opening to get inside pocket. Against his level of competition he has developed the bad habit of relaxing his guard about his waist and often leads with his chin over his lead left knee inviting anesthesia. When examining what looks like thrilling power punching counters you must keep in mind the level of opposition in which he is allowed to unleash upon.

What to look for fight night:

The second the bell rings look for all the bravado of team Ocampo turning into a high school track meet where the fight plan is a wing and a prayer orchestration of perpetual movement. Therein lies the hope it will somehow beguile the champion while the challenger hopes to land a telling body blow without retaliation. If he ever elects try to try and man up inside the pocket you could time this bout with a stop watch. The challenger will suffer broken ribs before getting the living daylights beat out of him on his way to a canvas nap. Damn, I did it again and buried the lead.

The Vinny Factor:

Look for Spence, JR. to rehydrate a full ten pounds the morning of fight as that is all that is allotted by IBF. From there he is free to add more and fans can expect him to enter ring around 164lbs. and looking like chiseled granite compared to his spindly counterpart. Add to the mix this kid has no world experience and is like a lamb being brought in for the slaughter. His style of going to the body will bring about his demise as Errol Spence, JR. is one of the best body punchers extent.

Odds:

As of this writing Vegas has yet to set a line. When I called the west coast casinos half the handicappers were still on floor laughing while the others were waiting in disbelief that it was a typo that hit the internet. Ringside Report suggests Spence, JR. at -1000, with Ocampa at +200.

Prediction:

Errol Spence, JR. will morph into Ian Fleming’s James Bond and has a license to kill.

Stay tuned…

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