SPENCE HAS EASY TIME IN VICTORY

Errol Spence Jr. defended his WBC and IBF welterweight championships with a unanimous decision over Danny Garcia on Saturday night in the Texan’s first fight since a car crash that almost derailed his promising career.

Two judges scored it 116112 for Spence with the other at 117-111 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. It was Spence’s third title defense on his home turf and came 14 months after he escaped injury in a high-speed crash near downtown Dallas.

The wreck in October 2019 was a month after a thrilling split-decision victory over Shawn Porter in Los Angeles. Spence (27-0, 21 knockouts) went the distance for the third straight time to beat Garcia (36-3, 21 knockouts). Garcia’s three losses have come in his last six fights.

Garcia tried to surge late, landing a right near the end of the 11th round that sent Spence looking for his corner just as the bell sounded with Garcia closing in for more.

With Garcia’s right eye and nose swollen — the latter after a small cut in the early rounds — the Philadelphia fighter tried to keep the momentum in the final round but Spence steadied himself as both fighters tried to land one last big punch before the final bell.

Sebastian Fundora dominated late replacement

Habib Ahmed in a WBA super welterweight title eliminator on the undercard, winning by technical knockout halfway through the second round.

Sports and courts

Former NFL player Vontaze Burfict, a linebacker who in 2019 received the most severe punishment in league history for an on-field infraction, was arrested in Las Vegas, according to court records. Online records for Las Vegas Justice Court said Burfict, 30, was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge.

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane does not have to testify under oath about his team’s sign-stealing scandal, a judge ruled Friday. That might happen later in pitcher Mike Bolsinger’s lawsuit against the Astros, if the lawsuit goes forward.

Soccer

West Ham imploded at its Olympic Stadium, squandering a 1-0 halftime lead against Manchester United as substitutes Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford inspired the visitors to a 3-1 English Premier League win.

Chelsea’s players treated their select group of attending fans to a comeback of their own at Stamford Bridge. The hosts rebounded from conceding a fourth-minute goal from former player Patrick Bamford to beat Leeds 3-1.

Forward Sebastian Soto has been added to the U.S. roster for Wednesday’s exhibition against El Salvador in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The 20-year-old forward from San Diego is on loan from Norwich in England’s second tier to Telstar in the Netherlands’ second tier.

Horse racing

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Drayden Van Dyke teamed to win the Grade I, $300,000 Starlet at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress for a fourth consecutive year with 17-1 long shot Varda.

Baffert, however, wasn’t in a mood to immediately celebrate the success in the final Grade I of the year for 2year-old fillies. He was concerned about the well being of Princess Noor, the 3-5 favorite who was pulled up early in the stretch by jockey

Victor Espinoza. Reports later said Princess Noor didn’t suffer any broken bones, but suffered a soft tissue injury.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche guided True Timber to a 51⁄2-length win over

Snapper Sinclair, owned by

Jeffrey Bloom, in the Grade I, $250,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct Race Course in New York.