By Jim Maltzman: Shawn Porter is cautioning IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. to stay away from him and Terence Crawford for his comeback fight in 2020. Porter is uneasy about Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) coming back too soon against an elite level 147-pound fighter after his car accident from last October.
Porter isn’t the only one that has warned Spence about him not choosing to face him next. Crawford sent a warning as well to Spence, and he outright refused to face him.
Spence’s future is uncertain
The Top Rank fighter Crawford wants to make sure that Spence is 100% before he faces him. Crawford opines that if he beats Spence in his first fight after his car crash, the boxing public won’t give him any credit for the win. They’ll say Spence isn’t the same fighter that he previously was because of his car accident.
Spence crashed his high-priced Ferrari Spider on October 10 last year on October 10. On impact, Spence was ejected from the vehicle, which then tumbled three times before it came to a rest in a pile of rubble. Following the accident, Spence spent six days in the ICU in a local hospital in Dallas, Texas.
‘Showtime’ Shawn doesn’t want anything to happen to Spence if he rushes back too soon against the best welterweights in the division. Porter doesn’t need to warn Spence about the dangers of fighting him next because he’s made it known that he has no intentions in giving him an immediate rematch.
Spence says he has a lot of other top guys at 147 that he wants to battle before he looks to face Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs) again.
For the record, Spence will be taking a tune-up in his next fight against Danny Garcia, who is a good fighter, but more of a mid-range talent at welterweight. Garcia is a perfect warm-up level fighter for Spence or any of the top welterweights in the division.
Spence needs tune-up after his car accident
“I do think he should have a tune-up fight,” said Porter on social media on Spence. “Coming through what he’s gone through, I think he can get as ready as he wants to and as he can and thinks he should. But after a car accident, you never know you’re ready until it happens, you know?” said Porter
Spence wants to take a tune-up, but his idea of a warm-up match is much different than what fans view as a soft match. Danny Garcia can punch, and he’ll be a threat to Spence if his car crash has compromised his ability to take a hard punch.
Spence maintains that he’s 100%, and he feels like his old self. His only complaint is he needs to drop more weight.
Spence needs to make sure he’s ready
“So I think he was blessed enough to make it through that accident, and so now I think he should make sure he’s ready to make it through a fight,” said Porter on Spence. “He [Spence] doesn’t need to go up against me, Terence Crawford or anyone big in the first go at it.
“Once that adrenalin gets going, there’s no telling what could happen,” said Porter on Spence being at risk in his next fight.
By the time Spence gets done with his next training camp, he’ll know whether he’s making a mistake or not in facing a good opponent.
In the training camp, Spence will have a lot of hard sparring. If there’s a problem with Spence’s punch resistance from the car crash, you can bet that’ll be brought to light during the camp. In that case, Spence will change his fighting style for his comeback by emphasizing his boxing rather than his power game.