Whether he went 12 full rounds or got the job done before the sound of the final bell, Errol Spence Jr. seldom looked like he just got into a fistfight. More times than not, the 33-year-old was normally the one dishing out the beatings. Recently, however, Spence looked like a complete mess.
With each passing round, the swelling around his jawline got considerably worse, and the bumps and bruises around his eyes weren't getting any better. At the start of the ninth round in his undisputed showdown against Terence Crawford on July 29th, Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) bounced up and down on his toes, doing his best to keep his spirits up. Roughly one minute later, referee Harvey Dock had seen enough, officially stopping their clash.
Spence took his beating like a man and offered no excuses, even though he didn’t appear to be his normal self. With blood dripping from his nose and his lips bulging from the right and left hands of Crawford, Spence despondently picked up his head and revealed that Crawford hasn’t seen the last of him.
Their immediate rematch, nevertheless, has been met with an ambivalent response. In addition to those in boxing circles believing that Spence should avoid stepping into the ring with Crawford for a second time, many are convinced that the beating he sustained officially ended his career. But while all of the retirement talk has been perpetual, Jermell Charlo is on the other side of the fence on that topic.
“Nah I don’t think Errol should retire,” Charlo told BoxingScene.com.
It isn’t just the lopsided beating that fans and pundits are pointing to in their explanation of why Spence should retire. In 2019, the former unified champ was involved in a horrific car wreck. A few years later, a torn/detached retina forced him into the medical room.
So, taking into consideration everything he’s been through both in and outside of the ring, countless people believe that it would be sagacious for Spence to retire.
Still, not only is Charlo convinced that Spence won’t go in that direction but he’s also of the belief that the rematch will take place next.
“Errol ain’t gonna retire. He’s down for the fight.”