By Mike Coopinger
April 13, 2022
Source: ESPN
Photo Source: Getty Images
Errol Spence Jr. was less than two weeks away from a career-defining fight with Manny Pacquiao when he realized something was wrong.
Spence had already returned from a devastating car crash, and while sparring to prepare for the Pacquiao fight, he felt something happened to his eye. Days later, he had surgery to repair a detached retina in his left eye.
Yordenis Ugas replaced Spence on 11 days' notice and scored an upset over Pacquiao in August to retain his WBA welterweight title.
Now, in Spence's first fight since the procedure -- just his second bout since the car accident -- he'll meet Ugas on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (9 p.m. ET, Showtime PPV), where he'll look to add a third 147-pound belt and prove he's still at the top of his game.
"This layoff was easier for me after the injury than the one after the accident because it was a lot less stress on my body," said Spence, who hasn't fought since a December 2020 victory over Danny Garcia. "Mentally I was also prepared for what I was going to go through. I had been back in training before camp started for this fight so I'm ready."
Spence, 32, ESPN's No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer, will headline a pay-per-view event for the fourth consecutive time (three of those bouts at the home of the Dallas Cowboys). There's no doubting Spence's star power, but he'll need to prove he's still on top following a serious injury.
"Even half of me would beat most of these guys at the top level," Spence said. "I feel great now and I'm 100%."
Spence is the welterweight division's biggest attraction, but he's not the only elite boxer competing at 147 pounds. The weight class has long been one of boxing's deepest, and Saturday's title unification will go a long way toward presenting some clarity in the crowded division.
ESPN looks at the welterweight landscape with an eye on the marquee matchups that could lie ahead, the contenders waiting in the wings and the young fighters ready to make their move.
Outside of a fight of the year contender with Shawn Porter in September 2019, Spence hasn't lost many rounds during his title reign.
The southpaw's jab is one of the sport's best, a punch he uses to keep foes on the outside while he sets them up with crisp combinations.
Spence's power is formidable, even late in a fight -- he scored a knockdown of Porter in Round 11 with a hellacious sweeping left -- but since his 11th-round KO of Kell Brook to win the title, he hasn't finished any of his top-flight opponents. That includes title defenses over Mikey Garcia and Danny Garcia.
Considering that his biggest competitor at welterweight, Terence Crawford, has stopped his last nine opponents, Spence could be hard-pressed to defeat Ugas inside the distance, too. Ugas has been dropped twice in his career, but his four losses all came via decision.
"My nutritionist that I added for this camp has been the missing ingredient," Spence said. "I was struggling to make weight and I think that's the reason that I haven't gotten a stoppage in my last few fights. This is the first camp in a while that I haven't put the sauna suit on [to lose weight]. It's been a breath of fresh air."
Whatever the result, there's still a lot at stake in that fight. A victory would put Spence just one title away from becoming undisputed welterweight champion. That fourth title, of course, is held by Crawford. A fight between Spence and Crawford is one of the best boxing can deliver, but it's long eluded fans despite the calls for it.
Now that Crawford is no longer promoted by Top Rank, a company that rarely does business with PBC, a bout with Spence later this year is a genuine possibility.
"At the end of the day, I want to be the undisputed welterweight champion of the world," Spence said. "This is another step toward that goal. I've been the shot caller. I'm the big fish at 147."Crawford's talent was never in doubt, but he has been often criticized for his lack of top-level opposition. He put those questions to rest emphatically when he became the first man to stop Porter, a 10th-round TKO victory in November to retain his title.
The Omaha, Nebraska, native's mean streak was once again in display against Porter, his long-awaited fight against one of PBC's elite group of welterweights. Crawford isn't just an offensive machine with power in both hands, but perhaps the only boxer who can seamlessly switch stances effectively, providing a puzzle that no opponent has come close to solving yet.
Now that Crawford is a promotional free agent, an undisputed title fight with Spence seems closer than ever. Crawford has no fight planned, so if a deal can be closed, he could head directly into a Spence matchup later this year.
Crawford, 35, is ranked No. 2 on ESPN's pound-for-pound list (behind Canelo Alvarez), but a win over Spence, if they fight, could vault him past the Mexican star. Before the matchup can be discussed, of course, Spence will need to turn back Ugas on Saturday.
Crawford's talent was never in doubt, but he has been often criticized for his lack of top-level opposition. He put those questions to rest emphatically when he became the first man to stop Porter, a 10th-round TKO victory in November to retain his title.
The Omaha, Nebraska, native's mean streak was once again in display against Porter, his long-awaited fight against one of PBC's elite group of welterweights. Crawford isn't just an offensive machine with power in both hands, but perhaps the only boxer who can seamlessly switch stances effectively, providing a puzzle that no opponent has come close to solving yet.
Now that Crawford is a promotional free agent, an undisputed title fight with Spence seems closer than ever. Crawford has no fight planned, so if a deal can be closed, he could head directly into a Spence matchup later this year.
Crawford, 35, is ranked No. 2 on ESPN's pound-for-pound list (behind Canelo Alvarez), but a win over Spence, if they fight, could vault him past the Mexican star. Before the matchup can be discussed, of course, Spence will need to turn back Ugas on Saturday.
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