HITS and MISSES: The ‘Truth’ About Errol Spence and More

HITS and MISSES: The ‘Truth’ About Errol Spence and More

There was plenty of boxing to consume over the first weekend in December.

Most notably, Errol Spence Jr. and Danny Garcia met in an important welterweight battle in the main event of a PBC on Fox pay-per-view card on Saturday night.

Additionally, Billy Joe Saunders returned to action to defend his 168-pound title in the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card on Friday in England.

With an eye on both those big fights and more, TSS brings you the latest HITS and MISSES from another weekend on the boxing beat.

HIT: The Truth About Errol Spence

Spence’s nickname is “The Truth” but no one knew the truth about Spence entering Saturday’s fight. Would the 30-year-old Texan ever be the same again after he wrecked his car, spent two weeks in the hospital, and caught that DUI case last year?

Of course, the PBC on Fox public relations team championed the storyline that Spence had changed his life after the wreck. The champ moved from downtown Dallas to a big ranch outside of town with horses and other farm animals, and boxing fans could expect a renewed and focused Spence from now on.

That’s the PR team’s job, but Spence did his part in making the story true, which was the most important part of the whole thing. Before Spence’s accident, he was thought to be the best of the PBC welterweights. The southpaw continued to prove that by beating former two-division titleholder, Garcia.

MISS: Not Expecting BJ Saunders to be BJ Saunders

Saunders dominated fellow Brit Martin Murray on Friday night, and he did so in the usual Saunders way. While it might seem easy for a fighter such as Saunders to put his foot on the gas pedal at any moment, especially when he’s winning just about every single round, I’m not actually sure that’s the case.

Of course, the boo birds on social media came out for Saunders when it was clear the 31-year-old was on his way to winning a 12-round decision. To the folks safely outside the confines of the ring watching the fight at home, all Saunders needed to do was decide to knock Murray out.

I disagree. Substitute Saunders for any other crafty boxer. It never makes sense for any fighter to change his or her very effective style to suit the whims and fancies of a fickle boxing fanbase. Saunders is what he is, and anyone watching his fights should probably just expect him to just keep doing what he does.

There is beauty in all things, including the boxing of Saunders, if you only look to see it.

HIT: Stirring Documentary About Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho (and Addiction)

As someone who has publicly shared via social media and other ways about my own past struggles with addiction, it was at the same time heartening and devastating to watch the Showtime documentary about the life and death of Hector “Macho” Camacho.

Camacho was one of the biggest and brightest stars in the sport at one time, but the fighter eventually succumbed to the disease of addiction to the point that the documentary points out he forsook a big-money chance to fight Roy Jones Jr. so he could stay trapped inside his addiction.

That happened just a couple of years before the fighter was found shot dead in Puerto Rico surrounded by bags of cocaine.

The Hall of Famer was a fine fighter who defeated many talented fighters and world champions. But addiction is a battle with one’s self, so it’s important to note that sometimes even the best and brightest of us can’t turn the tide.

MISS: $75 Pandemic Pay-Per-View

There are two sides to this coin, but the one that usually lands facing me is that the $75 pay-per-view price of the PBC’s latest boxing card was just a little too steep.

That’s especially true in 2020 when the global pandemic is keeping so many people from working, and it seemed even more visible in the wake of the $50 price tag that Triller’s Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view card offered.

Whatever you think about that surreal event, the truth of the matter is that that there were way more people interested in watching Tyson fight Jones than Spence vs. Garcia.

On the other hand, while the three-fight undercard for the PBC on Fox event didn’t seem super-stacked heading into fight night when the action came around on Saturday night, I found myself enjoying all three fights.

Still, compared to Triller’s event, and even the UFC’s $65 price tag for what consistently turns out to be way more stacked PPV cards, $75 seems a bit out of place.

That might not be the case next year when hopefully the world is put back together again. But right now? I think the PBC missed an opportunity to let fans know they’re truly with them during this trying time by slashing the pricepoint of Spence vs. Garcia.

HIT: The 147-Pound Elephant Sitting in the First Row

Three-division champ Terence “Bud” Crawford might never get to face Spence, but it won’t be because the 32-year-old from Nebraska hasn’t done his best to make that fight happen.

That, or in something eerily similar to the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao storyline of 10 years ago, Crawford and Spence might eventually face each other five years from now when both men are on their way down.

While the PBC on Fox broadcast crew finally started to include the existence of Crawford in their on-air discussions and production materials on fight night and social media, they still seem to ignore the simple fact that Spence vs. Crawford is easily the best and most important fight that can be made in boxing today.

So it was nice to see Crawford buying a first-row seat for Spence’s fight. The presence of that 147-pound elephant served as a constant visible reminder that the Spence vs. Crawford superfight needs to happen.

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