FRISCO, Texas – Errol Spence Jr. doesn’t want to take a tune-up fight in what will be his first appearance after suffering serious injuries in a car accident 4½ months ago.
Mikey Garcia would like to see Spence come back against a welterweight who isn’t at the elite level, so that the unbeaten IBF/WBC 147-pound champion can make sure he feels right once he fights without headgear, in eight-ounce gloves. More than anything, Garcia was relieved to learn Spence didn’t suffer permanent, prohibitive injuries in a one-car crash early the morning of October 10 in downtown Dallas.
The 30-year-old champion sustained dental damage and cuts to his face, but not injuries that’ll prevent Spence from resuming his career at the height of it.
Garcia, who suffered his lone loss to Spence nearly a year ago, discussed Spence’s situation with BoxingScene.com this week while promoting his fight against Jessie Vargas on Saturday night.
“It was sad and scary, at first,” Garcia said. “We don’t wanna hear any bad news regarding any boxer, especially someone like himself, at the height of his career. You know, he’s in his prime. It was scary, a scary thought. Fortunately, it seems like he’s OK. He wasn’t permanently hurt. I think he’s gonna be back. I think he’ll be just as good as ever. If he didn’t get hurt like everybody expects he didn’t get hurt, I think he should be fine.
“I think it’s smart for him to take enough time to let his body heal, let his body heal from the accident, and get back in it. Maybe take a tune-up fight, just to kind of get in the groove of things, before securing the bigger fights. Because we’ll never know until he’s inside that ring how he really feels. So, maybe take something a little lighter, and that’s totally acceptable at this point.”
Spence (26-0, 21 KOs), of DeSoto, Texas, stated during a live interview that aired on FOX two months ago that he expected to return to the ring late in the spring or early in the summer. His comeback bout has not yet been scheduled.
The 32-year-old Garcia, meanwhile, will fight Saturday night for the first time since Spence soundly defeated him in their 12-round, 147-pound championship match last March 16 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington. DAZN will stream the 12-round bout between Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs), of Moreno Valley, California, and Las Vegas’ Vargas (29-2-2, 11 KOs) as the main event of a nine-fight card from Ford Center at The Star, the Cowboys’ trainer facility.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.