Errol Spence Jr. had to slow down.
Everything in her life was moving at a rapid pace. Inside the ring, his auspicious career was accelerating, leading him to the dawn of boxing supremacy. Residing in downtown Dallas, Spence’s daily life was fast-paced, noisy, hectic, constantly finding himself busy with someone or something. His stardom was quickly reaching new heights, making him one of the most popular and profitable fighters in the sport.
On the surface, Spence, who was born on Long Island before moving to Dallas and still has family in the area, looked fast-tracked to all-time greatness on his way to earning some of the game’s most coveted accolades. boxing. Looking back on that time frame now, as he prepares for his world title unification match with Yordenis Ugas in the main event at AT&T Stadium on Saturday (7pm, Showtime PPV), Spence realizes he was going too fast at all. aspects of your career. life.
And it almost cost him his life.
After representing the United States at the 2012 Olympics, Spence, now 32, rose through the welterweight division, winning his first 26 fights and knocking out 21 of his opponents. He made a statement against IBF belt holder Kell Brook – at Brook’s home in England – stopping the champion in the 11th round to win his first world title. He defended that title three times before winning his second belt, defeating welterweight legend Shawn Porter by split decision to win the WBC world title.
Spence was 26-0, holding two of the top four world titles in the welterweight division and positioning himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Before he could continue to add to his increasingly elitist resume, however, he was forced to take a step back.
Just weeks after his thrilling win over Porter, Spence crashed his Ferrari in a single-vehicle accident in Dallas in the early hours of October 10, 2019. He had been drinking earlier that night and was charged with DWI.
“I’m kind of, I’m not happy that this happened, but I’m kind of graceful that it happened because it made me slow down and put a lot of things in front of me and just sort out what I want and what I want. I don’t want to.” Spence told the Post.
Dallas police say Spence was traveling at high speed when he swerved off the median and entered opposite lanes. His car flipped several times, throwing Spence, who was not wearing a seat belt, out of the vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital.
Spence was treated for facial lacerations and tooth damage, but somehow escaped without any broken bones or serious injuries. Fortunately, the only permanent thing about her potentially devastating accident was a new perspective on life.
“I think it affected me. [for the] better, in life, because it set me back a little bit and made me put a lot of things in perspective,” Spence said. “It made me realize that I was in a blessed position and it basically made me stop taking life for granted, or things I took for granted, and thinking I was Superman.”
What Spence wanted in the ring was clear – to win all four major belts and become the undisputed welterweight world champion. Outside the ring, he had goals of starting a family, being a father and raising the people around him. To achieve this vision, Spence knew that a change in his life was needed.
Spence left the busy city life behind, buying a 60-acre ranch south of Dallas in DeSoto, Texas. He was fed up with the overwhelming nightlife, the noise, the constant attention on him and all the distractions he now admits he struggled to live in downtown.
On his farm, Spence takes care of dogs, chickens, goats and horses, a process he has found therapeutic since the accident. He named one of his horses, which he won on the anniversary of the accident, Ferrari. It is a constant reminder of the fragility of life. He appreciates the extra calm and serenity that ranch life has given him.
“I wanted a place to go [that is] calm down, stay in my thoughts, somewhere slower, not fast, and basically relax,” Spence said. “Not everyone in your company. When you’re downtown, living in skyscrapers, you have to see people, talk to people, and people see you all the time, when you really don’t want to be seen. Here, people mind their own business.
“It gave people less access to me, because if you really want to come here, then you truth wants to come here, so it gave less access to a lot of people. It’s just a more conservative life where you relax. I can go out to my front yard and sit on the bench and relax and watch my kids play, watch them play on the swings, or if they want to swim, they can swim. Living downtown, you couldn’t do all that. I had to go down about 20 floors to walk, otherwise my kids can’t play in the neighborhood because it’s just concrete and streets. I feel it’s a better life for a family man.
Speaking in a laid-back Texas drawl that never seems to get too excited or bothered, it’s easy to see why Spence is able to handle adversity so well. He carries a calm, laid-back charisma that seems unflappable no matter what is thrown at him. It’s a stark contrast to his relentless behavior inside the ring.
After recovering from the car crash, a thrilling win over Danny Garcia in his first fight – retaining both the IBF and WBC titles in the process – lined up a mega-title unification fight with the title holder. WBA title and boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao. Just over a week before the fight, however, Spence was forced to retire after sustaining a detached retina/fracture in his left eye during training.
Instead, he had to stay home and watch his Saturday opponent, Ugas, stun Pacquiao and win the WBA world title. Spence dreamed of beating Pacquiao to unify three belts, a feat that would surely have cemented his place near, or perhaps even at the top, of boxing.
Instead, like the main event on the Showtime card on Saturday, he’ll have a chance to beat the guy who beat the guy and regain some momentum in his career that may have slowed.
When Spence, now 27-0, faces Ugas (27-4), the WBA, WBC and IBF world titles will be on the line. Spence was honest, despite having only one fight in two years and demi, that he’s “the big fish” in the welterweight division, that he’s boss, that he’s the best.
“It’s not that he thinks [he’s the best], he knows he is,” Spence’s longtime coach Derrick James told The Post. “The reason he knows this is because he deserved it – the level of competition he faced, the victories he had and the way he managed to draw. That makes you the real ‘big fish’. It’s about ticket sales, ticket sales, pay-per-view, be a pay-per-view star.
That excitement and level of entertainment that Spence brings during his fights is what James and Spence think fans missed the most as he was forced into rehab. So, upon returning to the ring, he returns to one of the best stages in the country, fighting in front of his hometown fans.
If he wins, which Spence guarantees, he will walk away with three of the top four belts in his possession, setting up a long-awaited fight with WBO title holder Terrance Crawford for all four belts and undisputed status. If it’s up to him, Spence will get that chance as soon as he can.
Spence promises he’s not neglecting Ugas or getting ahead of himself. Perhaps more than anyone else, he recognizes the need to be stuck in the present.