On October 10, 2019, Errol Spence Jr. suffered a horrific car crash in Dallas that left him in critical condition. The accident during which his Ferrari flipped multiple times left him with a fractured jaw, a concussion, and facial lacerations. Yet the following December he returned to beat Danny Garcia. Then in 2022, he was involved in another car crash but a few months later he was back in the ring to face Terence Crawford. Both these incidents highlighted the grit and tenacity of Spence Jr. which have now come under the scanner with the boxer being asked to hang up his gloves by those who once idolized him. Then last month a rumor spread that Spence Jr. was retiring from boxing. Though the boxer shut it down quickly, his problems go way deeper.

The crushing loss to Terence Crawford only deepened his struggles. A stellar career that saw him hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles at that time was thrown in doubt. A comeback proved elusive – eye surgery, an extended layoff nearing two years, and swirling retirement rumors fueled uncertainty. The Texas resident has remained hesitant about his future, but a recent revelation sheds light on personal battles. His raw confession struck a chord, prompting an unexpected response from Gervonta Davis – with whom Spence Jr. had a fiery confrontation last year.

Taking to X, Spence Jr. admitted, “The worst thing I did to MYSELF was drinking. If you’re an athlete, focus on the end goal. Hopefully, it’s a better situation for you and your love ones.” This led to a warmhearted gesture from the reigning champion, otherwise known for his killer attitude in the ring and the best of trash talk outside.

“I felt this..I hope you and your lil ones doing well champ..” Davis wrote under the post. What’s interesting to note is that Gervonta Davis’ outreach follows the heated exchange he had with Errol Spence Jr. Back in June last year, ‘Tank’ fought Frank Martin in his first title defense. Spence Jr. was also present at the press conference. It was the first major presser after the Crawford fight.

However, while Spence Jr. previously stepped in as a fighter, this time, he attended as Martin’s promoter. During the discussions, Davis interrupted him, prompting Spence Jr. to fire back with his now-famous response. “Who have you backed it up with? You back it up with who? You don’t fight anybody, bro. You’re here for a check,” said the former welterweight champion.

Meanwhile, the string of problems plaguing the ‘Big Fish’ is pretty well known. But insobriety? Even the most hardcore supporters would put it dead last. However, in 2018 a clip of him hanging out with Broner & Gervonta Davis went viral, where Spence Jr. appeared a little tipsy. Fans speculated that he was drunk and later there were other fan reports of seeing him partying and drinking more often. Perhaps Andrew Ward’s series of tweets in October of that year hinted at Spence Jr. maybe focusing less on boxing and more on his lavish lifestyle.

He wrote, “At a certain point in big fights it’s no longer about skill, talent or game planning….it’s about your lifestyles. Yea, from the 7th round on, it has now turned into a LIFESTYLE fight !! What are you doing or not outside the ring ?? That will be on display.” We don’t know to whom this message was intended, but it sent the right message anyway.

Spence Jr. was the unified welterweight champion prior to his loss to Terence Crawford and was the unified champion between 2017 and 2023. While he hasn’t fought in two years, at 34, there is good reason to believe he will be back in the ring, but so far he has been met with setbacks in his attempts to return.

After a long period of inactivity, hopes resurged when reports of a matchup with 154 lbs. titleholder Sebastian Fundora followed. The talks for the fight ebbed and flowed. Earlier this year, just when it felt that the fight was in the bag with a date and venue set, reports emerged that it would no longer happen.

The cryptic messages from Spence Jr. made the situation further confusing. Last year, as the discussions around the Fundora matchup emerged, he mentioned that it might be the last time fans would see him in the ring. Then after the cancelation of the fight, he mentioned that he would be back when he’s ‘ready.’

Notably, this came after he had to quash rumors about his retirement after a tweet went viral. “The former unified champ Errol Spence Jr. has sadly announced his retirement at the age of 34 years old after sustaining another injury to his eye in training. We wish Errol all the best,” the @Bestboxingnews account tweeted.

The 34-year-old boxer responded to this on his Instagram story, noting, “It’s not from me,” with a trash bin emoji. While Spence Jr. remains hopeful of a return, one boxer wants to see him retire for good.

American boxer feels Errol Spence Jr. shouldn’t fight again

Being out of action and having gone through a lot in the last six years. He hasn’t fought in two years since his ninth-round knockout loss to Crawford on July 29, 2023, and has since undergone cataract surgery. This and the failed comeback against Sebastian Fundora led Vergil Ortiz Jr. to say that Spence Jr. should call it a day.

“I don’t think Errol should fight again. I say this as a fighter who really looked up to him being in the same gym. I think he’s done. I don’t want to see him fight again, I really don’t, just for his health concerns,” Vergil Ortiz Jr. told Brian Campbell’s YouTube channel. Spence Jr. has also been dealing with weight issues and Ortiz Jr. believes now is a good time for him to retire

He added, “He already had the car crash [on October 10, 2019 in Dallas, Texas], and he had a bad night against Crawford. If he’s made the money he’s needed, then he doesn’t need any more to survive and he can live comfortably, then just retire. I really don’t want to see him fight again as a friend.” Despite this, Spence Jr. remains defiant.

As criticism of his last fight mounted, he took to X to deliver a stinging response to those questioning his resolve. “Some of Yall use “he washed” to loosely post yall momma so you can see what washed really is,” he wrote on February 26.

Given his current status and his recent tweet, it appears he still wants to go out on his own terms. Do you foresee a comeback for him in the near future?