Errol Spence Jr. was on top of the boxing world. But just when he reached the peak of the mountain, he was violently thrown off it. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
Spence walked around the welterweight division like he owned the place but with just one title in his possession, he knew he needed more. Eventually, in 2019, he managed to get Shawn Porter into the ring for a WBC/IBF unification.
It wasn’t Spence’s typical easy night but, despite swelling and bruises protruding from various parts of his body, he walked out of that Los Angeles ring with two titles wrapped around his waist.
Once he left the arena, Spence celebrated. The good time he had wasn’t just a singular night. A few weeks later, Spence continued enjoying himself – apparently too much.
We’ve all seen the images of Spence being flung from his vehicle. We’ve also seen his miraculous recovery. It may have taken him over a year to come back, but once he did, he jumped into the ring with Danny Garcia.
Soft touches and tenuous opposition are something that Spence loathes. He believed he needed someone to push him, making Garcia the perfect opponent. He wasn’t exactly vintage but Spence had more than enough in the tank to take care of business.
Since then, Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) has been incredibly injury prone. He was forced to undergo eye surgery in 2021 due to a torn/detached retina. Still, even with his body breaking down, Spence continued to win, until he met up with Terence Crawford.
It was the fight we all wanted to see, one that figured to be a virtual coin flip. The hypothetical thoughts surrounding their back-and-forth showdown, however, were pushed down the wayside when Crawford dominated and stopped his man.
Angel Garcia, Danny Garcia’s father and trainer, didn’t necessarily feel bad for Spence but he does believe that his handlers don’t have his best interest as their number one agenda.
“If it was me, honest to God, I would never have taken that fight for him,” Garcia told YSM Sports Media. “He had come from a big accident. Dan should have beat him but he didn’t. He took a lot of shots from Dan.”
Boxing will always be characterized as a brutal sport. The fighters aren’t in their throwing powderpuff shots. Angel has watched his son send several fighters to the canvas. He’s also seen him take countless big-time blows as well.
The glory that’s associated with winning is salient but Angel admits that he will always be prudent when it comes to the punishment his son, or any other fighter, is in their taking.
“I know the fans wanted it because they pay for everything but at the end of the day, you gotta worry about your life. Who’s gonna visit you in the hospital when you f—– up? Nobody. When you die a week later, they sold your sh!t or trashed it.”
