Errol Spence Jr Looking To Show He’s Healthy And Better Than Ever
Unified WBC/IBF World Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr (26-0, 21 KOs) is in the final days of prep work for his long-awaited return to the ring. The Desoto, Texas native will face former two-division Danny Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) on December 5 at the AT&T in Arlington, Texas on Fox Pay-Per-View.
This is Spence’s first time in the ring since a brutal and scary looking car-crash in October 2019. The unified 147-pound champ was a guest on First Take on December 2 to talk about his upcoming fight and how he is feeling since the accident.
“I’m 100 % healthy. I went to the clinic and got checked out. I went to the hospital and they did all types of exams on me, an MRI and everything. They didn’t see any brain swelling or anything.
They had me do reaction tests and I passed them with flying colors, so they gave me the cue to continue boxing. So that was the first thing was my health, so that I was good and everything checked out straight.
So I started going to the gym. I started sparring in September. I looked great and we landed a fight with Garcia. So everything has been going pretty much on schedule. It’s a blessing to be coming back so early, in a little over a year.”
For a comeback fight, Danny Garcia is a more than respectable foe. He is a pro’s pro who has fought the best at both in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions. The Philadelphia-born and bred fighter is a tough out for anyone.
But Spence is looking to make a statement. Garcia’s two losses have come against former welterweight champs Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) and Shawn Porter (31-3-1, 28 KOs) by close decisions. For the fighter known as “The Truth”, his goal is not only to win but do so in an emphatic fashion.
“With this fight, I’m going to show that I’m the all-around better fighter. Inside, outside, with the jab, hooks, combinations, whatever you want to do in the ring I’m better than Danny Garcia. I don’t think that even if I was 70%, Danny Garcia couldn’t beat me.”
ONE FIGHT AT A TIME
Wherever there is an interview with Spence, inevitably the name of Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) comes into play. The boxing world wants to eventually see a fight between the two for supremacy in the welterweight division. When asked about that potential showdown by co-hosts Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman, Spence made it a point to say his priority at the moment is his upcoming fight against Garcia before even thinking about Crawford. However, Smith and Kellerman doubled down and mentioned the historical significance of a fight against Crawford. Spence conceded that he is very interested, but made sure to put it all in perspective.
“I’m definitely interested in Terence Crawford. I think it’s a great fight. He has a world title and I want to be the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. So I feel like we’re going to have to cross that path soon.
But my main goal is Danny Garcia on Fox Pay-Per-View. That’s the biggest fight for me right now, especially at the point coming from my car crash. So I have to get him out of the way before I think about somebody else. So my focus is on Danny Garcia. Then after that, we can focus on other opponents.”
The sense of anticipation for Spence v Garcia is high. Because he has not been in the ring since his accident, there is a sense of mystery about the 30-year-old Texan.
Is Spence the same man and fighter that we saw before the accident? Is he truly back and at 100%? All of those questions will be answered on December 5.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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