Errol Spence: “I’ll Be Back When I’m Ready.”

By: Sean Crose

You never know in boxing. Right when it looks like Errol Spence might have left the sweet science behind, here he is giving hints that he might not be finished with his boxing career. When it comes to the sport of boxing, however, nothing is so cut and dried. “My son plays sports,” Spence told Fight Hub TV this past weekend, “my two girls play sports. I’m being with my family… being with my fiancé, my mom, my dad, traveling the world, just enjoying life. I’ll be back when I’m ready.”

The last time the decorated Spence fought he was thrashed – there’s no other way to put it – by Terence Crawford in a legitimate welterweight super fight. Losing in one-sided fashion no doubt took its toll on Spence both physically and emotionally. At the moment though he seems happy… and not too eager to return to the ring. He indicated he doesn’t plan on being retired but rather is enjoying his hard-earned fortune. With that being said, it’s worth wondering where the man would go from here in the sport. Would he move up in weight or remain at welterweight and try to dominate that division? Or would he just try to get a tune-up fight to gauge where he still stands.

Make no mistake, Spence was one of the biggest names in the sport before the Crawford fight. After going to England to win a world title in a brilliant performance against defending titlist Kell Brook, Spence went on to defeat the likes of Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. One of the best body punchers in the business, he was entertaining as well as remarkably skilled. How much of the old Spence might return to the ring, though? He’s no longer a kid, plus Crawford and a serious auto accident may have taken their toll, as well.

The truth is that Spence really doesn’t seem overly concerned about the question. Although he’s taken his shots emotionally and physically, there’s no doubt that this is a confident man. He’s already earned a ton of money so if he does return it may have more to do with proving himself than with anything else. It would be nice to see the guy return, of course. Again, he’s a very fun fighter to see in action. If however, Spence decides to spend the rest of his time with this family, well, who can blame him? It isn’t like he hasn’t had some kind of career for himself. Crawford defeat or no, Spence has achieved a whole lot while plying his trade in the toughest sport in the world.