ERROL SPENCE JR has retained his welterweight title with victory over Danny Garcia.
Spence Jr was in his first since he crashed his Ferrari in a horror accident last year following his win over Shawn Porter.
Follow ALL of the latest reaction below…
REPORT
Errol Spence Jr marked his return to the ring with a dominant points victory against Danny Garcia to preserve his welterweight crown.
The Texan fought for the first time since his life-threatening car crash last October and did so in front of a limited home crowd in Arlington.
NINTCHDBPICT000624092636Credit: AP:Associated Press
And he proved to have no ring rust as he controlled the action throughout to retain his WBC and IBF titles and move to 27-0.
After the win, Spence, 30, said: “The moment is surreal.
“It has been a dream of mine since coming back from my accident and I think I looked pretty good.
I had a little ring rust in there but I shook off the cobwebs and I would love to be back in the summer.
“All training camp I felt good. I knew I was going to be good and that’s why I told people I don’t want a tune-up fight.
“I wanted someone like Danny Garcia who would push me.”
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE
‘NO EXCUSES’
Danny Garcia gave a humble response when confronted after hs defeat to Errol Spence Jr.
He said: “He was just the better man tonight. No excuses.
“I fought a hard, tough fight. He had a difficult jab and I think that was the key to the fight.
“I didn’t have a great jab. He had a great jab and that was the difference in the fight. He landed it better than me.”
NINTCHDBPICT000624093234-1Credit: AP:Associated Press
THE CHAMP HAS SPOKEN
Spence said: “The moment is surreal. It has been a dream of mine since coming back from my accident and I think I looked pretty good.
I had a little ring rust in there but I shook off the cobwebs and I would love to be back in the summer.
“All training camp I felt good. I knew I was going to be good and that’s why I told people I don’t want a tune-up fight.
“I wanted someone like Danny Garcia who would push me.”
THE CHAMP IS HERE
AND STILL
Judges score the bout 116-112 (x2) and 117-111 as Errol Spence Jr retains his unified welterweight crown.
Spence proved to have little ring rust as he marked his return to the ring in successful fashion.
ROUND 12
Short right hook lands on the inside for Spence, who is pushing the action in the 12th and final round.
Spence finishes the final round on top and should now retain his titles as we go to the judges scorecards.
Brilliant return to the ring for Spence.
ROUND 11
Left hand lands for Spence, who is on the front foot early in round 11.
Hard right to the body lands for Garcia, but Spence retaliates with a string of body shots.
Garcia comes forward towards the end desperately looking to land something big but Spence’s defence is too smart.
ROUND 10
Spence comes out for this round slower, and Garcia lands with a right hand to the body.
Right hand clips Spence, who looked momentarily off balance.
Best round in a while for the challenger.
ROUND 9
One-two combination lands for Garcia but it was a short, snappy shot and did little damage.
Spence’s work rate has not slowed down at all, consistently walking the challenger down throwing jab and body shots.
ROUND 8
Garcia more aggressive in the opening stages but can’t land anything of note.
Spence walking forward with his hands up looking to let his hands go on the inside.
Garcia is caught on the ropes towards the end of the round as Spence finishes on top, throwing in big numbers.
ROUND 7
Spence coming forward proving the dominant fighter.
When the two come in close he is out-landing Garcia, especially to the body.
Garcia lands a right hand to close out the round but he was outworked yet again.
ROUND 6
Spence walking Garcia down, landing body shots and closing the distance.
Garcia’s left eye beginning to look marked up from the constant jabs coming his way.
Going into the second half of the fight and Spence is on top.
Garcia is accurate when he lands but not throwing enough to counter Spence’s pressure.
ROUND 5
Hard left hand lands for Spence, Garcia had been active with his rear hand up until then.
Both men trade body shots on the inside, quick hooks flying in. Good body combo lands for Garcia.
Spence replies with his own combination upstairs. Garcia just lands with a looping right hand.
ROUND 4
Spence comes out on the front foot walking Garcia back, controlling it with his jab.
Jab is proving the difference in round four for Spence, who is also throwing the odd left to the body.
Garcia has to try and bring the fight to the champion or risk being picked apart.
ROUND 3
Garcia walks forwards and lets his hands go – he then slips over after a coming together.
Big left hook drives Garcia back and puts him on his heels.
Garcia comes back with his own right hand – great fight in the opening stages here.
ROUND 2
Spence closes the distance with a double jab but Garcia does well to respond with a right hand.
Champion is first to the punch, but the challenger is showing off fast reactions.
Spence taking control early, but Garcia likes to sit back and counter.
ROUND 1
Spence comes in and lands a body shot but Garcia clips him with his trademark left hook.
Good tempo to the fight.
Counter right hand lands for Garcia early.
ROUND 1
Here we go!
Spence on the front foot early, Garcia will look to counter punch.
HERE COMES THE CHAMP
Spence makes his way to the ring – along with his WBC and IBF belts.
His first fight since beating Porter in September 2019.
But more importantly, his first fight since his horror car crash in October last year.
HERE COMES THE CHALLENGER
Danny Garcia makes his way to the ring with his trademark mask on.
A loss for Garcia would see him beaten against Spence as well as Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter.
PADDED OUT
Danny Garcia hits the pads with his trainer and father Angel.
He challenges for the Errol Spence Jr’s WBC and IBF welterweight titles NEXT.
NOT DAN AND OUT
Following such a devastating collision, Errol Spence Jr could have been excused for wanting an easier route back to the ring.
But instead, the defiant southpaw – feeling he has something to prove – wanted only to face the best.
So now his fight against Danny Garcia – which was set for January until the crash – will be his first since escaping death.
And it was a request he specifically asked his advisor Al Haymon at PBC to approve.
Spence told SunSport: “Fighting a lesser opponent that I know I can beat, I don’t think it would have me 100 per cent focussed like Danny Garcia has got me.
“I basically told my manager Al Haymon, ‘I’m a shark, don’t put me in the pool with tuna’s and seabass. Put me in the tank with other sharks’.
“I want to be in there with a shark, so we chose Danny Garcia.”
WRAPPING IT UP
Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr getting his hands wrapped ahead of his world title defence against Danny Garcia.
Both Spence and Garcia are braced for their fight which is up NEXT.
ALL OVER
Sebastian Fundora stops Habib Ahmed in round two of their co-headliner.
Fundora brutally utilised his height advantage and landed some heavy hooks and uppercuts.
The ref stopped the fight as Ahmed had no answer on defence.
WRAPPED AND READY
Tonight’s challenger Danny Garcia getting his hands wrapped ready for battle.
He headlines against Errol Spence Jr NEXT.
Sebastian Fundora and Habib Ahmed are currently co-headlining.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
