Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. is behind us. Now it’s time for a real fight.
Errol Spence Jr. will defend his welterweight titles against Danny Garcia on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The fight will be televised on pay-per-view.
The matchup is compelling. Spence, No. 5 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, will be fighting for the first time since a terrible car accident in October of last year.
And Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) certainly didn’t select a pushover in his comeback fight. Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) is a former two-division titleholder with the all-around ability and experience to give anyone in his division big trouble.
Here are five questions going into the fight:
No. 1
Has Spence fully recovered from his car accident in October of last year?
Spence is lucky to be alive. The champion rolled his speeding Ferrari and was thrown through the windshield in the early morning hours on Oct. 10 in his hometown of Dallas. Somehow, miraculously, he reportedly emerged with only minor injuries. Doctors soon gave him permission to resume training and he worked his way into full-contact sparring as he prepares to face Garcia. He says he feels fine. Derrick James, his trainer, says he’s performing as he did before the accident. We’ll take their word for it but we have to wonder: How can we be sure that he didn’t suffer some sort of long-term damage? We’ll never know the answer that question unless we see something that provides a clue in this fight or others. Only one thing seems certain: It will be interesting for us to see whether he looks like the same fighter.
No. 2
Was Spence wise to forgo a tune-up fight?
We’ll see. No one would’ve blamed Spence if he decided to face a second- or even third-level opponent to test his body after his accident 14 months ago. That would’ve made sense. However, that’s not Spence. One, he’ll make more money against an elite opponent, Two, he wanted a big fight to motivate himself in training. Garcia serves that purpose. And, three, Spence sees himself as the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world. The only way to demonstrate that is to fight and beat other top boxers. If Spence wins, especially if he wins convincingly, he will have made a smart decision to go directly into a big fight. If he loses, people will suggest that he should’ve eased back into boxing. The odds – 3½-1 in favor of Spence, according to BetMGM – say that he made the right move.
No. 3
What makes Spence so good?
His versatility. Everyone was touting Mike Garcia’s special skill set before he fought Spence in March of last year so Spence decided to outbox him. Shawn Porter is known as a strong, suffocating brawler so Spence decided to outslug him when they met six months after the Mikey Garcia fight. The point is that Spence can beat you in many ways, including at your own game. He can box, he can bang, he can punch (81% knockout ratio) and he is durable. He took considerable punishment against Porter but was never hurt or fazed. On top of all that, his keen boxing acumen allows him to adapt in the ring. And, finally, he is supremely confident. He has called out Canelo Alvarez, for crying out loud. That sort of self-belief cannot be underestimated. In short, Spence might be the most-complete boxer in the world.
No. 4
Is Garcia a legitimate threat to Spence?
Absolutely. “Swift” is one of the most-accomplished fighters in the business, having won titles in two divisions and taken out long list of elite opponents over his 13-year career. And his only two losses were tight decisions against top-tier foes, Keith Thurman and Porter. Had Garcia won one or two more rounds in those fights he might be undefeated and on every reputable pound-for-pound list. He is probably naturally smaller than Spence, which is at least a slight disadvantage, but he certainly has been successful since moving from 140 pounds to 147. He’s 6-2 as a welterweight, with four knockouts. Spence also probably is quicker than Garcia but his timing and experience in general can compensate for any disadvantage in that department. Don’t be shocked if Garcia manages to pull off what would seem to be a big upset.
No. 5
What’s next for the winner?
Ideally, Terence Crawford. The winner of Spence-Garcia will hold two of the four major welterweight titles, with Crawford and Manny Pacquiao holding the other two. Both Spence and Garcia would target Pacquiao for obvious reasons – the big payday against a relatively minor threat, at least compared to Crawford. From a business standpoint, Pacquiao should be the first choice. However, Crawford is the true challenge, the fight the fans want to see and one that could secure the legacy of whomever faces him. There are other good options. Thurman, Porter, Yordenis Ugas and Vergil Ortiz come to mind. And, again, Spence has actually called out Alvarez. But the winner vs. Crawford is the ultimate matchup. Everyone knows that.
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