Spence On Car Crash, Recovering To Be Better

Back in September, Errol Spence Jr. was on top of the world. The IBF Welterweight Champion won the WBC Welterweight Title from Shawn Porter in an exciting bout that many praised. Things took a turn for the worst, however, when Spence was involved in a brutal car accident in October. He was later charged with a DUI, and the footage showing the accident was shocking.

Not wearing a seatbelt, Spence (26-0) was ejected from the car. He suffered cuts to his face and damage to his teeth. Showing up on a boxing broadcast a few months after, he looked good, even if there still appeared to be damage done. Now, Spence is looking to be a better man as a result of it.

Speaking with Ray Flores on Premier Boxing Champions’ Instagram Live, Spence discussed his accident. He went on to say that he has a lot to prove as he works on showing he is the same Errol Spence Jr. everyone knew before it.

“I feel like my car accident was the wake-up call from God, telling me to really focus and bite down and re-focus on what’s going on,” Spence stated. “I feel like I wasn’t as focused as I am now. It is kind of like from the Kell Brook fight or before that, how focused I am now. I feel like I’m really trying to put my all into it because I’ve got a lot of stuff to prove people wrong.”

This is not the first time Spence has used religion to describe his circumstances. He stated how grateful he was to be alive and to tell his story right after the accident.

Spence worked extremely hard to beat Brook for the IBF Welterweight Title back in 2017. Since then, he has achieved plenty of success facing some of the top boxers out there. From Lamont Peterson, Carlos Ocampo, Mikey Garcia to Porter, each win brought a new confidence in. The Golden Gloves champion knew right away what was his downfall that may have led to the crash.

“Getting way too comfortable,” Spence went on to say. “Eating a lot. I think Marvin Hagler was the one that said, ‘It’s hard to get up when you’re sleeping in silk sheets.'”

During the aforementioned broadcast,  Spence was hoping to come back to action in either May or June. With the current situation regarding the coronavirus, and without knowing how healthy he actually is, it is unsure when he will step in a ring again. Fights that could end up working out for him include a Brook rematch, a Porter rematch, or a clash with Terence Crawford.

With Danny Garcia lurking as well, Spence will be waiting. For now, the healing process will allow him to continue to reflect on his current situation.