Spence On Avoiding Tuneups: “It Shouldn’t Take Another Fight For Me To Be Sharp and On Point”

Errol Spence Jr. is a man of few words but there are certain principles that he lives by.

In the world of boxing, protracted stints on the sidelines have prompted even the sport’s most elite fighters to take a relatively soft touch before jumping into the thick of things. By and large, those “tune-ups” are then followed by bigger and more fan-pleasing bouts.

While the need to shake off the cobwebs is a common theme, Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) isn’t a fan of that popular trend. Having worked on his craft for well over a decade and a half, the Dallas native compares his pugilistic prowess to something just about everyone on planet Earth is accustomed to doing.

“Boxing is like pissing or using the bathroom,” said Spence to ESNEWS during a recent interview.  

Unfortunately for Spence, at least in the latter portion of his career, he’s spent far more time than he would like out of the ring. Yet, each and every time he’s made his return, he’s opted against facing lesser opposition.

Following his horrific car wreck in 2019, the now 33-year-old jumped right back into the ring against former two-division titlist, Danny Garcia. Similarly, Spence would go roughly a year and a half without entering through the ropes thanks to a bevy of physical ailments following his Garcia victory. Still, once he was given the green light, he didn’t shy away from facing an elite-level opponent. In his immediate return bout, Spence successfully truncated the title reign of Yordenis Ugas, stopping his man in the 10th round.

Although his performance was memorable, Spence’s future plans have been kept mostly under wraps. Ultimately, however, the current unified welterweight champion has revealed that he’s deep in negotiations to square off against Terence Crawford next.

Crawford, 35, was last seen just a few short months ago, making quick work of fringe contender, David Avanesyan. While there could be a considerable amount of ring rust that may have infiltrated his overall game by the time he faces off against the WBO belt holder, Spence believes that a typical two-and-a-half months of training should afford him more than enough time to get himself where he needs to be.

“You have an 8-10 week training camp. If I ain’t good enough in that 8-10 weeks then sh*t. I got 8-10 weeks to prepare for a fight. Sparring, and getting ready for a fight. I should be on point. It shouldn’t take me another fight for me to be sharp and on point.” 

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