Near-death experiences have a way of changing a person. Errol Spence Jr. certainly isn’t the same.
The welterweight titleholder could’ve been killed when he lost control of his Ferrari, hit a median and rolled over multiple times, which catapulted him through the windshield 14 months ago in his hometown of Dallas. Somehow, miraculously, he suffered no life-threatening injuries.
The accident and his ability to survive it brought into HD focus the important things in life, his family, his true friends, his career, the things that allowed him to reach the pinnacle of boxing.
Spence probably will look a lot like the pre-accident fighter when he defends his belts against Danny Garcia on pay-per-view Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but he sees the world and his role in it differently.
In a way, the accident was a blessing.
“I think it really did help me,” Spence said a news conference Wednesday. “… You realize that having this time on earth is a luxury. You think you’re invincible, you think nothing can happen to you.
“When something does happen to you, you realize the time is important, spending time with your family, your loved ones, people who really care about you and people you really care about.”
“I actually moved out of downtown and got a ranch [in DeSoto], got a horse and different cattle, things like that. I got a pool. I’m enjoying the time with my kids and my family. I just had a new-born son. And a girlfriend. And, you know, just enjoying life more.”
Spence, who suffered mostly cuts and bruises, was released from Methodist Dallas Medical Center less than a week after paramedics brought him there by ambulance immediately after the crash.
(He was charged at that time with driving under the influence on the night of the accident, something his lawyers told him he shouldn’t address pending adjudication.)
[lawrence-related id=16055,15951,15931]
He resumed workouts the following month, was back in the gym with trainer Derrick James in February and was cleared to begin sparring late this past spring, which was the first significant test of whether he had any lingering effects from the accident.
He didn’t, as far as he could tell. He felt fine.
“I went to the clinic, went to the doctors,” he said. “And they told me I didn’t have any brain swelling or any blood [on] my brain or anything like that. I decided to continue my career and get back. That’s basically what we did.
“Me and my coach have been in the gym since probably February and just grinding hard. Now we’re back. I’m 100 percent. I’m ready. He’s seen my reaction time, he’s seen me sparring and I how I do with the mitts and how I do on the bag, and everything is back on point and back to where it was.
“So I feel great. Everyone is going to see the same Errol Spence post-car accident.”
That’s significant for Spence beyond the recovery from his injuries. He had gotten complacent in a lifestyle that wasn’t ideal for a professional boxer, blowing up in weight between fights and then spending much of his training camps trimming down.
That’s a dangerous cycle, one that can lead to setbacks and shorten boxing careers. That was one of Spence’s revelations after the accident, which could be bad news for his rivals.
He has essentially been in the gym for nine months. It seems every boxer insists he or she is the best shape of his or her life going into every fight. However, as it applies to Spence at this moment, it might be true.
Spence said he was in the sauna before the weigh-in for his fight with Mikey Garcia in March of last year, which he won by a shutout decision. That isn’t likely to be necessary this Friday.
“I think it did renew my focus,” he said of the accident. “It got me back in the gym every day and things like that. … After a fight I started taking a week off to two weeks off to a month off to basically being in the gym when it was fight time.
“Now we’ve been in the gym, like I said, since February just grinding hard, staying focused. That’s what got me to the point of being unified champion and to the mountain top.”
Said James: “He’s focused on his task, and that’s constantly proving he’s the best welterweight in the world.”
Of course, Spence understands that outsiders must see for themselves that he’s the same dynamic fighter who has climbed onto every reputable pound-for-pound list and is poised to climb higher. Boxing Junkie has him ranked No. 5.
He’s confident they’ll see what he already knows, in part thanks to his choice of opponents.
“I’m realistic,” he said. “I know people have a lot of questions. Am I still the same? Am I a shell of myself? If I looked at the accident, I would’ve said the same thing, I would have questions too.
“The questions need to be answered. And I don’t feel they would’ve been answered against lighter (less threatening) competition. So I feel a lot of stuff will be answered come Dec. 5, for people to see what they haven’t been able to see in the gym.”
And how will the fight go?
“Well, the fight will end by me winning,” he said. “Life taught me that this world isn’t perfect. Nothing is going to be perfect, but I’m definitely going to get the victory.”