SPENCE RISKS TITLES VS GARCIA
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Undefeated Errol Spence Jr. returns from a serious car crash by defending two world welterweight boxing crowns on Saturday against former world champion Danny Garcia in an all-American clash.
The showdown at the home stadium of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys is a hometown fight for Spence, who was involved in a serious accident in October 2019. He was put on probation for drunk driving after being hospitalized in intensive care.
“To have my comeback fight at home means the world to me,” Spence said. “I won’t let this moment go to waste.”
Spence, a 30-year-old southpaw, is 26-0 with 21 knockouts after adding the World Boxing Council ( WBC) crown to his
International Boxing
Federation title just weeks before the crash with a split-decision win over Shawn Porter.
Garcia, 32, is 36-2 with 21 knockouts and last fought in January, taking a unanimous decision over Ukraine’s Ivan Redkach.
His only two losses came in a 2017 split decision WBC title defense against compatriot Keith Thurman and a 2018 unanimous decision to Porter for the vacant WBC crown.
“I’m here for the fight of my life,” Garcia said. “Come Saturday night, I will be victorious.”
Spence returned to the gym in February with plans to fight Garcia earlier before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“I’ve put in a lot of hard work and showed the discipline I had to in order to get back to this position,” Spence said. “I’m ready. Everything is on point and back to where it was.