DeSoto native and unified Welterweight world champ "The Truth" Errol Spence is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, is one of the longest reigning world champions, and one of the sport's most lucrative stars. He was starting a potentially massive payday and mega-fight with former seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, which would likely be the biggest payday of his career. A fight that would certainly not go well for the 44-year-old legend. However, Spence expressed no interest in a fight with the Filipino Icon saying “I wouldn’t fight him. Larry Holmes is one of the greatest heavyweights. He doesn’t get respect. How he beat Muhammad Ali – he f***ed him up. I think it’s because of that.”
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A respectable decision from the north Texan. Spence was scheduled to face Pacquiao in August of last year when he was forced to pull out from the fight due to suffering a retinal detachment. The Texan was replaced by hard-hitting Cuban Yordenis Ugas. Ugas went in and outpointed Pacquiao to capture his version of the WBA welterweight strap in fairly dominant fashion. Ugas would meet up with Spence just eight months later. Spence would dominate the Cuban and capture his WBA strap in addition to defending his IBF and WBC versions.
A year and a half later and another brutal defeat for Pacquiao combined with being 44 years old would likely not bode well for the legend and Spence doesn't want to be known as the man that beat the former legend into permanent retirement. With the Pacquiao fight not going to happen, Spence continues to look for another opponent while recovering from another scary car accident. He had previously agreed to terms in principle to battle Terence Crawford. That fell through over financial concerns. Crawford chose to battle with David Avanesyan, a PPV event that is rumored to have sold a total of 5-15K PPV sales in the US. Crawford remains the main target for Spence however if that again falls through, rumors to face unbeaten contender Jaron "Boots' Ennis are also heating up. Ennis is currently ranked number one by the IBF and submitted a request to the IBF for them to order Errol Spence Jr to defend his IBF title. Spence would have to face him or risk losing his IBF title.