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WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 27-0 (21) believes his car crash in October 2019 and a separate eye injury last year were a blessing in disguise.
The 31-year-old Spence rolled his Ferrari at high speed in Dallas in a one-car accident that ejected him from the vehicle and left him hospitalised. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time. Last year he was slated to face Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao 62-8-2 (39) in August before being diagnosed with a retinal tear in his left eye less than two weeks before the bout.
Miami-based Cuban Yordenis Ugas 27-4 (12) stepped in to fill the void and comfortably outboxed Pacquiao to claim the WBA 147-pound belt. The 35-year-old will now entered into a three-title unification bout against Spence at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday night.
Texan Spence says his recent trials and tribulations have only served to strengthen his resolve and made him hungrier in the gym.
“I feel my focus is a lot better than before the crash and the eye injury,” Spence said to Boxing Junkie. “I feel like that gave me a new sense of hunger. I just feel like before I won the world title, keeping that focus, that drive, being in the gym, working hard.
“Everything has been basically focused on boxing and my family. I feel 100%, especially mentally… I’m a firm believer that stuff happens for a reason. It’s how you react to it. There are cons to everything. There are pros, too. It just depends on how you take it. It was more rest for me. It got me back in the gym, focused, training hard.”
Spence added: “Some people might be furious, angry. If you’re furious or angry, you still got the problem. You might as well change your perspective so it can be to your benefit.”
Spence sees the Pacquiao fight as a missed opportunity and firmly believes he would have beaten the 42-year-old legend, who went down on points to Ugas via unanimous decision.
“Yeah, I was disappointed,” said Spence, who has long coveted a shot at undefeated WBO champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford. “I feel like basically that [Pacquiao] was aligned for me and I missed the opportunity. I couldn’t dwell on it, though. It happened for a reason. [Ugas] won the fight and now I’m fighting the guy who beat Pacquiao.
“It’ll still come full circle for me. I’ll just to have to win in impressive fashion so that people will say, ‘If he would’ve fought Pacquiao, he would’ve destroyed him’.
“Some fighters – some people – don’t appreciate what they have until they almost lose it. I definitely appreciate it more knowing that it can be taken away from you at any moment.”
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