Errol Spence Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Errol Spence Jr. |
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Spence in 2014
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| Nickname(s) | The Truth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rated at | Welterweight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 72 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 3, 1990 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
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| Stance | Southpaw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Errol Spence Jr. (born March 3, 1990) is a famous American professional boxer. He used to be a "unified champion" in the welterweight division. This means he held three major boxing titles at the same time: the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles. He held these titles between 2017 and 2023.
Before becoming a professional, Errol was a very successful amateur boxer. He won three national championships in the welterweight division. He also represented the United States at the 2012 Olympics in London. In 2015, a big sports channel, ESPN, named him the "Prospect of the Year."
Amateur Boxing Career
Errol Spence Jr. had a great start in boxing as an amateur. In 2009, he won the U.S. National Golden Gloves competition. This is a very important amateur boxing tournament.
He also won three national amateur welterweight championships in a row, from 2009 to 2011. In 2011, he reached the quarter-finals at the World Championships. He later competed in the 2012 Olympics in London. He made it to the quarter-finals there too, before turning professional. He finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 135 wins and only 12 losses.
Professional Boxing Career
Errol Spence Jr. started his professional boxing journey in November 2012. He was 22 years old. In his first fight, he won by knockout in the third round. He quickly showed his power, winning many of his early fights by knockout. By the end of 2013, he had won all 10 of his professional fights.
He continued to win, making his television debut in 2014. He won that fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all judges agreed he was the clear winner.
Rising Through the Ranks
As Errol kept winning, he started fighting more well-known boxers. In 2015, he defeated Samuel Vargas and Phil Lo Greco by TKO (Technical Knockout). A TKO happens when the referee stops the fight because one boxer cannot continue safely. He also beat Chris van Heerden and Alejandro Barrera that year. These wins helped him climb up the rankings in the welterweight division.
In 2015, ESPN called him the "Prospect of the Year." This showed that many people believed he would become a future star in boxing.
Spence vs. Algieri
In April 2016, Errol Spence Jr. had one of his biggest fights yet against Chris Algieri. Algieri was a former champion. Errol became the first boxer to stop Algieri, winning by TKO in the fifth round. This was his seventh knockout win in a row. After this fight, Errol made it clear he wanted to fight for a world title.
Spence vs. Bundu
Later in 2016, Errol fought Leonard Bundu in a fight that would decide who would become the mandatory challenger for the IBF title. This meant the winner would get a guaranteed shot at the world champion. Errol won by knockout in the sixth round. This win meant he was next in line to challenge for the IBF welterweight world title. This fight was watched by a huge audience, showing how popular Errol was becoming.
Becoming IBF Welterweight Champion
Spence vs. Brook
In May 2017, Errol Spence Jr. finally got his chance to fight for a world title. He traveled to England to challenge the IBF welterweight champion, Kell Brook. The fight took place in front of 27,000 fans. Errol won the IBF welterweight title by stopping Brook in the 11th round. He kept hitting Brook with powerful punches, wearing him down. Brook eventually took a knee and couldn't continue. This was a huge win for Errol, making him a world champion.
Spence vs. Peterson
After winning his first world title, Errol defended it against Lamont Peterson in January 2018. Peterson was a tough fighter, but Errol dominated the fight. Peterson's trainer stopped the fight in the eighth round to protect his fighter. Errol showed his skill and power in this fight, landing many punches and breaking Peterson down.
Spence vs. Ocampo
In June 2018, Errol defended his IBF title again, this time against Carlos Ocampo. The fight was in Errol's home state of Texas. Errol won very quickly, knocking Ocampo out in the first round with a powerful body shot. He wanted to give the crowd a longer fight, but his punch was too strong! This was his 11th knockout win in a row.
Spence vs. Mikey Garcia
In March 2019, Errol fought Mikey Garcia. Many people were excited about this fight. Errol was much bigger than Garcia, and he used his size and reach to control the fight. He won every round, showing his boxing skills and power. After the fight, another boxing legend, Manny Pacquiao, joined Errol in the ring. They both said they would love to fight each other next.
Becoming a Unified Welterweight Champion
Spence vs. Porter
In September 2019, Errol fought Shawn Porter in a very important fight. This was a "unification bout," meaning Errol's IBF title and Porter's WBC title were both on the line. The winner would hold two major world titles. It was a very exciting and close fight. Errol knocked Porter down in the eleventh round and won by a "split decision." This means two judges scored the fight for Errol, and one judge scored it for Porter. Errol became a unified champion!
Spence vs. Danny Garcia
In December 2020, Errol fought Danny Garcia. This was Errol's first fight after being in a car accident in October 2019. He successfully defended his IBF and WBC welterweight titles. He won by a unanimous decision, showing he was still at the top of his game.
Spence vs. Ugás
In April 2022, Errol fought Yordenis Ugás. This was another unification fight. Ugás held the WBA (Super) welterweight title. Errol won the fight by a technical knockout in the tenth round. The referee stopped the fight because Ugás's eye was very swollen and he couldn't continue safely. With this win, Errol added the WBA (Super) title to his collection, becoming a three-belt unified champion!
Spence vs. Crawford
In July 2023, Errol Spence Jr. fought Terence Crawford in a highly anticipated match. This fight was to decide the undisputed welterweight champion, meaning the winner would hold all major titles in the division. Errol lost the fight by a technical knockout in the ninth round.
Personal Life
Errol Spence Jr. was born in Long Island, New York. His father is from Jamaica, and his mother is African-American. He has spent most of his life living in Dallas, Texas. Errol is a family man and has two daughters and a son.
See also
In Spanish: Errol Spence Jr. para niños
- List of southpaw stance boxers
- List of world welterweight boxing champions
