Spence: 99% Of HOFers Die Broke, I Care About Huge Paydays, Legacy – P4P List Used To Mean Lot More

With wins against Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas, Carlos Ocampo, Lamont Peterson, and Kell Brook over his last seven fights dating back to the beginning of his welterweight championship reign in 2017, Errol Spence Jr. has long been a mainstay in the top-ten and eventually top-five of almost every notable boxing observer’s active pound-for-pound list. 

The sparkle from Spence’s prodigious hit list has tarnished at times due to long stretches of inactivity forced by a near-deadly car accident, a leg injury, as well as not fighting since April 2022, as he aimed to seal the deal to face Terence Crawford.

When Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) finally meets Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) for the undisputed welterweight title on July 29, the winner of the years-in-the-making matchup will undoubtedly be coronated as boxing’s best pugilist.

But if you ask Spence, he’d rather be prodigiously paid than be atop someone’s subjective list.

“The pound-for-pound list used to mean a lot more to me back when I was younger, but right now it's more about legacy and getting back into defining fights,” the 33-year-old Spence told a group of reporters. 

“It's more about getting a huge payday. Because at the end of the day, you see it with a lot of fighters even in the Hall of Fame – 99% of these fighters in the Hall of Fame either die broke or they were broke when they got into the Hall of Fame. For me, it's all about financial literacy and just making sure I'm 100% on point with my financials. So when it's all said and done, I can retire peacefully, still be able to take care of my kids, and still be able to do the things that I am able to do while I was boxing.” 

Spence is a sure lock to make the Hall of Fame once he calls it a career, and his fight against Crawford should likely rack up past an eight-figure total. 

The loser of the fight can exercise a rematch clause within 30 days, and thus, activate another lucrative payday. 

Spence and Crawford’s fight will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and headline a PBC on Showtime pay-per-view card.

The fight will mark Spence’s fifth-consecutive PPV appearance. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.