Rick Glaser says Oba Carr had the tools to beat Errol Spence

Oba Carr made three unsuccessful world-title challenges, but Rick Glaser believes the former Kronk fighter had the ability to defeat Errol Spence Jr. Carr lost those attempts to Félix Trinidad, Ike Quartey and Oscar De La Hoya, a trio regarded among the strongest welterweights of the 1990s.

The argument rests largely on Carr’s speed and ability to punish openings. In his December 1994 challenge against Trinidad, Carr dropped the champion with a well-timed right hand in the second round. Trinidad recovered and stopped him in the eighth, but Carr had shown that he could hurt an elite opponent before being drawn into a sustained exchange.

That right hand and Carr’s combination punching would have been important against Spence, a southpaw. Carr was quicker, while Spence relied on size, pressure and heavy body work to wear opponents down. Carr’s hand speed could have allowed him to attack during Spence’s advances and disrupt the rhythm needed to establish that pressure.

Carr’s 12-round meeting with Quartey also offered evidence of his ability to deal with a powerful welterweight. Quartey’s jab caused him problems and two judges scored the contest clearly for the Ghanaian, although Carr continued to fire back throughout the fight. The majority decision went against Quartey, but the performance still demonstrated Carr’s durability and competitiveness at the weight.

Spence’s later career would make the matchup more favourable to Carr in Glaser’s view. A 2019 car crash, a retinal injury and the strain of repeatedly making 147 pounds affected Spence’s reactions and physical condition. He beat Yordenis Ugas, but looked depleted when Terence Crawford stopped him in nine rounds.

A prime Spence would have posed a much tougher challenge. His physical strength, body punching and size could have tested Carr, who was dropped twice by former lightweight champion Livingstone Bramble before winning a disputed split decision in 1991. Even so, Carr’s lack of a world title does not settle the comparison: his speed, power and experience placed him at a level capable of troubling the diminished Spence, while Crawford remained a separate standard.