The Errol Spence Jr. conundrum. How good will he be when we see him again?
By Max Warren
Last October, Errol “The Truth” Spence (26-0, 21KOs) was in a devastating high-speed one-car crash in Dallas, TX. Spence’s Ferrari veered over the center median and flipped multiple times, ejecting Spence, who was not wearing a seatbelt.
Afterward, he was sent to the Intensive Care Unit and initially labelled in critical condition. Miraculously, Spence didn’t break any bones and only had some facial lacerations. He was later charged with driving while intoxicated, a class-B misdemeanor. If Spence had worn a seatbelt, the crash could have been fatal. It’s a miracle that people are even talking about his boxing future after such a horrific accident. Despite the mishap, the show will go on for Spence.
This freak accident will likely be a wakeup call, reminding him what can happen if he makes the same mistake again. Since then, Spence has stayed out of trouble and looks forward to returning to the ring. In all likelihood, he will not face a top opponent in his next fight.
He needs a feel-good victory and to get back to normalcy. Former welterweight champion, Danny Garcia, jumped into the ring and called Spence out after “The Truth” defeated Shawn Porter last September. Many fans initially objected to a prospective bout between Spence and Garcia, but after the car-crash, people just want to see if Spence can still fight at the same level.
The Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence super-fight will not happen any time soon, especially since having a packed arena is out of the cards due to the current pandemic. In a bout of that magnitude, profits must be maximized and present fans will be necessary for that to be accomplished. So, fans might as well forget about that fight for the foreseeable future.
Spence is a very large welterweight. At weigh-ins, he typically doesn’t look like he makes the 147-pound limit easily. He might begin campaigning at 154 when he returns to action. Also, it would be a more comfortable weight for him to make in his return bout.
Maurice Lee (12-1-2, 5 KOs), a welterweight signed under the Mayweather Promotions banner, claimed that a bout versus Spence is in the works during a social media video. Under normal circumstances, a fighter of Lee’s caliber would have no chance to face Spence. But, Spence needs to get his groove back, and the opponent isn’t the primary focus right now. The objective is for him to prove to the public that he is just as good as he has even been and that the accident hasn’t derailed his career.
Regardless of the circumstances, Spence is still a major player in the welterweight division. He is a pound-for-pound level talent, and holds the WBC/IBF welterweight world titles. There will be lingering uncertainty until he fights again, and we won’t know how good he is at the moment until that happens.