The Truth’s Test: Can Errol Spence Jr. Reclaim Greatness?
The ghost of July 2023 has lingered for almost three years now. When Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. suffered a one-sided, 9th-round stoppage loss to Terence “Bud” Crawford. Since that night, Spence has mostly been out of sight, out of the ring, and largely out of the conversation.
But on July 26, Errol Spence Jr steps back into the squared circle. Per his usual style he isn't taking a traditional “tune-up”. Instead, he’s traveling over 8,000 miles across the world to make his 154 pound debut vs former WBO Light middleweight champion Tim Tszyu in his home country of Australia.
At 36 years old, after the longest layoff of his career, this isn't just another fight. This is the ultimate test of Errol Spence’s resilience, his legacy, and his reality.
To understand why anyone still believes Spence can pull this off, look back to October 2019. Just weeks after defeating Shawn Porter for his WBC welterweight title, Spence flipped his Ferrari in a high-speed single car crash in his hometown of Dallas, Tx. The footage of the vehicle tumbling through the air looked fatal. By all boxing logic, his career was likely finished.
Yet, he returned. Defeating Danny Garcia, retaining his IBF and WBC titles. 16 months later he stopped Yordenis Ugás to add the WBA welterweight title to his collection. That type of comeback is what his fans and a large part of the boxing world are hoping to see again. But can “the truth” be Superman once again, or will he have to face his own humanity.
"I Didn't Live a Boxer's Life"
When Crawford dismantled Spence in Las Vegas, the majority of his fans blamed the weight cut and the lingering effects of the accident. Factors that are null and void once the contract was signed. Spence himself offered a more straightforward confession ”... I didn't live exactly like a boxer for the most part." Which puts the responsibility at his own doorstep, not his opponents. For years, rumors swirled about Spence’s weight ballooning between fight camps (we could see it). He wasn’t living the disciplined lifestyle of a championship fighter when the cameras were off. Drinking, partying, letting his body get heavy, and relying entirely on his talent and training camps on fight night. And for a number of years, it worked. Against Crawford, the bill finally came due.
Fighting for More Than Legacy: The Man
Beyond the belts, pay-per-view numbers, and the stadium lights, Spence is a father. He has often spoken about how his children are his primary motivation, and his “why”. To be able to afford them a life he didn’t have growing up. The cool and calm Spence Jr. often shows very little emotion, a look of joy overtakes that stoic demeanor when he speaks about his children and family.
July 26: The Test
Moving up to super welterweight (154 lbs) is a necessary decision. His body can no longer make 147 healthily and eliminating that weight drain should give him a better foundation.
But Tim Tszyu is a tested veteran. Tszyu is younger, physically imposing, and explicitly coming to "hurt" Spence and exploit any ring rust from the three-year layoff. There will be little to no room for a slow start.
If Errol Spence Jr. has truly dedicated himself to a true boxing lifestyle over the last few years, and found that inner hunger again, the world could be about to witness one of the biggest comeback stories in modern boxing history. If not, Australia will be the final curtain on a phenomenal career.
Either way, "The Truth" is coming. And on July 26, we get the answers.
