Philippines, 03 May 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


SPORTS SHORTS 170: WHO IS ERROL SPENCE? THE OUTSTANDING AMATEUR BOXER (FIRST OF A SERIES)


PhilBoxing.com




Errol Spence Jr. is of Jamaican descent by his father and American descent by his mother. He was born on Long Island, New York on March 3, 1990, but grew up in Desoto, Dallas County, Texas where his family moved when he was a kid.

* * *

Errol’s father, Errol Spence Sr., was a FedEx contractor. He introduced his son to boxing. One time, Errol went home from school, and 20 minutes later his dad brought him to an unfamiliar place. Errol has no knowledge of where they were going.

* * *

When they reached the unknown place, it turned out to be a boxing gym. They came in to the venue, and Errol Sr. asked the coach when Errol Jr. could start his training. The boy started his workout the next day.

* * *

His father was wholeheartedly engrossed in Errol Jr.’s career right from the beginning, attentively selecting his trainers. According to Dallas Morning News, Spence Sr. was inspired by Muhammad Ali and let his son choose a profession in boxing. Ali was the great champion fighter idolized by Errol Sr.

* * *

Spence Jr. had an outstanding amateur career as a boxer. He won the 2009 U.S. National Golden Gloves, and also won three consecutive national amateur championships from 2009 to 2011, all in the welterweight, his present weight division. Spence reached the quarter-finals at the 2011 World Championships, losing to Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan.

* * *

In the 2012 London Olympics, the amateur boxing's governing body AIBA overturned Spence's loss to Indian welterweight Krishan Vikas, five hours after Vikas had apparently used dirty tactics to ensure a 13-11 victory.

* * *

After the American team protested the result, AIBA's jury reviewed the bout and declared that Vikas had committed nine holding fouls in the third round alone. He also intentionally spit out his mouthpiece in the second round, which should have been punishable by at least four point deductions.

* * *

Spence advanced into the quarterfinals but was defeated by Andrey Zamkovoy of Russia, losing a possible bronze medal. It was the first time the American men's Olympic boxing team went home without a medal.

* * *

The women boxers saved it for the United States boxing team with middleweight Claressa Shields winning the gold medal and flyweight Marlen Esparza getting the bronze medal.

* * *

Spence ended his amateur career with an impressive record of 135-12 and turned professional immediately after the London Olympics.

* * *

Spence had his professional boxing debut in the welterweight category On November 9, 2012. He faced Jonathan Garcia, whom he defeated by his first career knockout, a third round stoppage.

* * *

In a month on December 15, 2012, Errol repeated his success in a fight against Richard Andrews. Spence won by a third round technical knockout. In 2013, the New York born fighter had eight fights and won all of them, all but two were by stoppages. Errol has won ten fights, eight of them were by knockouts.

* * *

He added two wins by knockouts in the beginning of 2014, then Spence appeared on Showtime on June 27, 2014 at The Joint, Paradise, Nevada for the first time in his boxing career. He ended the fight against Ronald Cruz winning by unanimous decision in ten rounds.

* * *

It was the third decision win of his career. That was his first ten-round fight, and he became the main event on Showtime then.

* * *

Spence said after the fight: “I remember that because everything went right. It was a great performance for me. I almost got the stoppage. It’s always in the back of your mind, especially when you’re training if you haven’t done eight or ten rounds before."

* * *

"You’re like, ‘I hope I can do eight rounds, or I hope I can do ten rounds.’ When I did the eight rounds easy, I knew I could do the ten rounds," Spence added.

* * *

Khris Middleton topscored with 40 points, including 10 straight points in the final 2:07, surging the Bucks ahead, and Giannis Antetokounmpo did an amazing block of Deandre Ayton at the rim to protect a two-point lead with 74 seconds to go.

* * *

Milwaukee won an exemplary Game 4 of the NBA Finals, 109-103 over the Phoenix Suns to even the best-of-seven series at two games each. The Bucks stayed in the NBA Finals and converted them into a best-of-three affair as the series returns to Phoenix for Game 5 on Saturday night (Sunday Philippine time).

* * *

Antetokounmpo and Middleton became the third set of teammates, together with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers, to score 40 or more points each in games in the same NBA Finals, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

* * *

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, the Milwaukee legendary duo who teamed up to give the Bucks its only NBA championship 50 years ago, were watching side by side among the fans from courtside seats. They won their first NBA championship on April 30, 1971, by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games.

* * *

The Philippines has qualified seven times in the sport dearest to the heart of the Filipinos, which is basketball. The last time the Philippine men's basketball team played in the Summer Games was the 1972 Munich Olympics.

* * *

The Philippines has entered the quarterfinals of the Olympic men's basketball twice, garnering fifth place in 1936 Berlin, and until now it is still the best finish by any Asian basketball team in the Olympics. The Filipino basketball players finished seventh in 1956 Melbourne, and also it is still the second-best finish in the Asian continent.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Rolly Romero Upsets Ryan Garcia, Throws Garcia-Haney Rematch into Chaos
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • Haney's Cautious Approach Leads to Wide Decision Win Over Ramirez in Times Square
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • Teo Lopez Retains Titles with Unanimous Decision Over Barboza Jr. in Times Square
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • Canelo and Scull Hit the Scales: Undisputed Super Middleweight Showdown Set for Tomorrow in Riyadh
    , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • Press Conference Notes: Naoya Inoue-Ramon Cardenas & Rafael Espinoza-Edward Vazquez Top Monster World Championship Doubleheader Sunday in Las Vegas
    , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • Triple A Promotions Presents Live Boxing at R&J Music Pavilion in San Antonio on May 10
    , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong sponsor Sarangani Bay Kayakfes 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • IIEE kickoffs Electrical Safety Month in QC and sets chess tournament in Baguio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 03 May 2025
  • High Profile Names Headline but Not Much Meat on the Bone in the Matchup
    By Chris Carlson, , Fri, 02 May 2025
  • Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull: Undisputed Clash Set for Saudi Arabia This Saturday
    , Fri, 02 May 2025
  • Garcia, Haney, and Lopez Hit the Scales for Blockbuster DAZN PPV Card in Times Square
    By Dong Secuya, , Fri, 02 May 2025
  • A Monster Arrival! Naoya Inoue & Ramon Cardenas Make Vegas Splash Ahead of Sunday's Undisputed Junior Featherweight Showdown
    , Fri, 02 May 2025
  • Minnesota Timberwolves Oust Lakers; Gobert Finally Gets Back at Dončić
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 01 May 2025
  • “FATAL FURY: CITY OF THE WOLVES” FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Thu, 01 May 2025
  • BAM AND HITCHINS LAND HUGE SUMMER SHOWDOWNS LIVE ON DAZN
    , Thu, 01 May 2025
  • June 7: Kelvin Davis-Nahir Albright Junior Welterweight Rumble Added to Loaded Keyshawn Davis-Edwin De Los Santos Card at Norfolk’s Scope Arena
    , Thu, 01 May 2025
  • CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH: A NIGHT OF BOXING IN LOS ANGELES ON MAY 22
    , Thu, 01 May 2025
  • Cavite beats San Juan and Pasig in PCAP
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 01 May 2025
  • BEKTEMIR “BEK” MELIKUZIEV AND THE UNDEFEATED DARIUS FULGHUM TO FIGHT IN WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATOR
    , Wed, 30 Apr 2025
  • “FATAL FURY: CITY OF THE WOLVES” MEDIA WORKOUT
    , Wed, 30 Apr 2025
  • WBC presents "Xicoténcatl" belt for the Canelo-Scull fight in Riyadh
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 30 Apr 2025
  • Thailand to host WBC 63rd Annual Convention in Phuket in November
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 30 Apr 2025
  • Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas Fight Week Events to Stream LIVE on Top Rank’s Social Media Channels
    , Wed, 30 Apr 2025
  • Raymond Muratalla: "I’m Ready to Show Out on May 10!"
    , Wed, 30 Apr 2025
  • Training Camp Notes: Undefeated Lightweight Kaipo Gallegos Prepares for Clash with Pedro Castaneda Castro on May 9 in Orlando
    , Wed, 30 Apr 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.