LAS VEGAS – Errol Spence is in town on business as lightweight fighter Frank Martin fights under his Man Down management umbrella.
Spence hasn’t boxed since his loss to Terence Crawford last July at T-Mobile Arena and hasn’t had much information about his immediate future, although there is speculation that he will face Sebastian Fundora next.
Nothing is closed though and Spence is enjoying his job on the other side of the ropes.
Asked if being involved in the massive fight between Martin and WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis whetted his appetite to fight again, Spence replied: “Yes, a little bit.”
But then the 34-year-old, who is 28-1 (22 KOs) as a professional, added: “But I like the promoter’s website. I feel like this might be my calling in a way – being a promoter and watching youthful guys come in and support them get to the top of their level, because that’s where we’re at right now. He [Martin]he is on top now, and when he is on top, you will be the right man.”
Spence isn’t sure how much time he has left as an energetic player, but he likely won’t be around for years and is already eyeing the end of his career.
“Oh, yes, for sure,” he said. “I won’t stick around until I’m on my feet and I look like a crazy person and I talk like a crazy person. Everything will end someday and, unfortunately, this too must end.”
Did he pay much attention to the harmfulness of sports?
“Oh yes, for sure. We have to. You need to worry about this, otherwise you could be a victim too. I’m definitely worried about it, I go for checkups all the time and I’m always monitoring my brain and doing scans and stuff to make sure I have everything in place.
It’s not just Spence’s boxing career – amateur and professional – that gives him food for thought, but also the horrific car accident he was involved in in October 2019, when he repeatedly flipped his supercar. He was thrown from the vehicle and spent weeks in hospital. This increases his anxiety.
“Oh, definitely,” Spence continued. “A lot of people take it lightly just because I came back and fought and all that, but it’s sedate. There aren’t many people who drive a Ferrari at high speed and get thrown out of the Ferrari, land on solid concrete, and yet still be here to talk today, still survive, still be coherent, and so on.
“It was a traumatic and brutal experience that I went through. People take it lightly because I’m still fighting and I’m still talking shit and stuff, but there was some sedate stuff there. “It was definitely sedate.”
Can he remember anything?
“I don’t remember anything for probably three or four months.”
Did Spence later return as Spence or in a different version?
“I probably came back as a negative Spence,” he said.
Spence will be hoping for a more positive experience with Martin on Saturday at the MGM Grand against Davis. Martin is the underdog and Davis casts a huge shadow over everyone he faces, especially because of his star power. Spence doesn’t mind those who write Martin off. He just doesn’t agree with them.
“Yes, they overlook it, but that’s what it’s all about,” Spence said. “They’re going to overlook him because he’s not the guy yet. But when he beats him, he becomes the guy and everyone in the story goes, “Oh man, he beat the guy,” just like everything else. “That’s what’s happening. Everyone will say that “Tank” doesn’t fight anyone until Frank shows everyone that he is the guy.
“Tank has never fought anyone who had Frank’s skills, talent and ability. No one he fought ever had his talent. You’ve got Ryan [Garcia], but Ryan was there to catch him. He’s the only person who has Frank’s skills.”
It’s been almost a year since Spence was last in the ring against Crawford, who today is fighting for the top spots in the world alongside Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk.
“I don’t look back on it too much. I mean, I’m fucked. That’s it,” Spence said of Crawford, who he felt was as good as he expected.
“I have [always] I rated him highly, I rated him very highly. It definitely wasn’t my night, but you know I definitely want it back.
If Spence had his eye on leaving, would he be satisfied with his career? He initially said no because of Crawford, but then continued, “Oh hell yeah. I take care of my family, I feel good. I’ll come out of the game unscathed and I feel like that in itself is a blessing because a lot of these players don’t come out of the game unscathed.”
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