By: Sean Crose
Not so long ago he was seen as one of the best fighters in the world. A popular hard-hitting gutsy Texan who looked like he might very well someday become the face of boxing. How much has changed in such a short period of time. For while Errol Spence was known as the king of the welterweight division by many, if not most people, he also lived hard and then faced crushing defeat. Those who saw the horrific car crash that almost killed Spence will never forget the image of Spence’s vehicle literally going airborne.
It took a while for the man to come back but when he did it was clear fans wanted him to face fellow titlist. Terence Crawford. That fight was a long time in coming, almost too long. When the two men did finally throw down in 2023, however, it was an unmitigated disaster for the popular Spence. Spence was not only defeated. He was beaten pillar to post by the Nebraskan. There was absolutely zero doubt who the better fighter was that night, and who would likely be the better man on most any night. Spence in the matter of a few rounds had gone from the man to beat to the man who took a beating.
Without doubt such things take a toll on a person. How could they not? Getting thrashed in a parking lot is terrible. Getting thrashed in front of untold millions of people is just horrid. Not only is there the psychological damage of being physically beaten, there’s the emotional damage of knowing that you let your fans, family and perhaps even yourself down. Again, it’s no easy thing to get over a loss like that. And sure enough, Spence hasn’t really engaged in the fight game much since then. He aims to change that now, however, with an upcoming fight against Tim Tszyu, himself, a fighter who was once seen as near the top of the game only to come crashing to Earth.
A lot of questions are going to be answered the night Spence returns to the ring. For one thing he’s fighting outside of the United States, in Australia, Tszyu homeland. That’s a good sign of courage. Remember he took the belt from IBF champion Kell Brook years ago. Will courage be enough to hold Spence’s strategy in place though,?
People want to know whether the man who is now pushing 40 can hit like he used to, can move like he used to and can have the self-control that he used to. No one denies Spence’s heart, but no one knows how he’ll be in the ring until he’s in there. He’s risking a lot on this fight, Spence, but he’s also being true to his character, which is really the more important thing. Should Spence prove victorious against Tszyu, he may be considered back on track for a world title. Maybe. It all depends on how good he looks.
The truth is the world is changing for fighters like Spence, Tszyu, and others from what is now a previous generation. In order to once again be relevant a fighter has to earn it. The question now is how much can Spence earn now that he’s been out of the ring for so long? Time will likely provide the answer. In the meantime Spence is no doubt making a good chunk of money for the fight with the Tszyu and, should he win, likely have a future in the ring afterwards. If he loses however he should have earned enough to keep him and as kids going for a quite a long while.
