Errol Spence Jr. was on the rise in the welterweight division and destined for stardom.
He turned pro in 2012 and quickly established his presence in the sport by posting 7 KOs in his first 10 fights.
As his career progressed, so did the number of bodies he snatched with his devastating power.
Spence always appeared larger than his opponents, possessing the body type and punching power that would allow him to move up to middleweight.
Fans knew he would be a star, and he proved that with dominating victories over Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia, and Shawn Porter.
But sometimes fame can cloud your dreams.
In the early morning of October 10th, 2019, bad judgment almost cost him his life. That night he wrecked his Ferrari in a one-car accident in Dallas that left him in critical condition. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt, was intoxicated, and ejected from the car, three things that should have meant death.
But Spence cheated death as it wasn’t his time yet.
Instead, he used it as a moment of reflection and a time to refocus on the things that meant the most to him- his family, his career and his life.
“It was a wakeup call, and most importantly it gave me perspective,” said Spence on the podcast The Pivot. “I had to really sit down. I realized that all that outside stuff is just a distraction. What’s important are the people close to you. Because when it’s over, that’s all you’ve got.
“I realized that I was playing on borrowed time.”
Realizing that, Spence went back to work.
He took care of his injuries and began training again.
Then a setback occurred in the form of a detached retina, which forced him to pull out of an August 2021 fight against Manny Pacquiao. It would have been the biggest fight in his career, but instead, he would have to wait.
So he trained even harder, and in December 2021, he entered the ring for the fight time in over a year to face Danny Garcia, as tough a fighter as there is.
After 12 rounds, Spence won by unanimous decision.
More importantly, he passed his first test since death appeared on his doorstep.
“If the concrete couldn’t break anything in my body, then how could a man hurt me? That’s why I came straight out of the gate and fought a strong ex-champion in Danny Garcia.”
Tonight, five months after defeating Garcia, Spence returns to AT&T Stadium in his hometown to face a challenger even tougher than Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter.
WBA Super Welterweight champion, Yordenis Ugas.
Spence knows what he’s up against, but don’t forget. He’s also the WBC and IBF world welterweight champion, so he’s no slouch.
“Ugás is a tough fighter, said Spence in the press conference. “He’s a guy that embraces the fight and wanting to go toe-to-toe. If he has to, he’ll do anything to win. I’m that type of guy. I’m the type of guy that if I have to go toe-to-toe, I will. If I have to stay there and fight, I will.”
Some express doubt that Spence can be the fighter he once was, claiming that if he was the same man, he would have knocked out Garcia.
But that’s disrespectful to both Spence and Garcia, for both men are equally tough. In all of the years that I’ve watched Danny Garcia in the pros, I’ve never seen him go down.
The same can be said of Spence.
“When people say I can’t do this or I can’t do that, I prove them wrong every time. I am the same guy I was before the accident and the injury. I feel like I’m better than that guy that fought Shawn Porter or Danny Garcia,” exclaimed Spence.
Tonight, Errol Spence Jr. will face his toughest test. A fight against a tough opponent, a fight against the doubters, and a fight to prove that his brush with death made him a better man.
“Everybody knows my motivation,” said Spence. “I fight for my family, my friends, my city, the whole state of Texas. I want to be the three-belt unified champion of the world and I want to become the future undisputed welterweight champion of the world. The first ever to do it.”
