By: Sean Crose
Not all that long ago he was considered one of the best fighters on earth, an undefeated titlist with thudding power and mass appeal. Then came Terence Crawford. Before Errol Spence met Crawford in the ring a few years back, their fight was essentially considered to be a coin toss, so equally skilled the two men seemed. Then came the opening bell of their welterweight title unification bout. It was all downhill for Spence from there. Clearly asserting himself as the better of the two fighters, Crawford battered his man in one sided fashion until the bout mercifully ended in the ninth round.
After the fight, Crawford reigned supreme as undisputed welterweight champion for a short time before eventually moving up to junior middleweight. At the moment it looks like Crawford will be facing the one and only Canelo Alvarez in an odd but legitimate superfight. And Spence? The likeable Texan hasn’t been seen in the ring since his crushing 2023 loss to Crawford. Indeed, it’s been a while. The question now isn’t even when Spence will return to action but IF he will return to action. It’s been almost two years, after all. What’s more, Spence is 35 years old, not exactly old by modern standards, but no spring chicken either.
The truth is that, even now, a return to the ring would guarantee Spence much attention as well as much money. There are some potential big name opponents, after all. Keith Thurman comes to mind, as does Tim Tszyu. In order to face those names, however, Spence will have to officially come back. He will also likely take a tuneup on his return to the fight game, not that he could be faulted for it. Provided he decides to retire, however, Spence shouldn’t be criticized for his decision.
Boxing is a tough sport, after all, tough and dangerous. And Spence took a terrible beating at the gloved fists of Crawford. Wars against the likes of Kell Brook may have taken some wear and tear out of Spence, as well. And then there was the major accident that almost killed him to be taken into consideration. All things considered, Spence has had a treacherous go of things – successful, but treacherous. With that being said, Spence is still likely to come back. He’s a fighter, after all, and fighters fight. Provided he’s in good enough physical condition to return, it will be good to see him back.
