He may not be much in the news these days, but the ‘Big Fish’ pops its head once in a while. It’s been a challenging journey for Errol Spence Jr. since the loss to Terence Crawford last year. His name crops up now and then as a news snippet. From invoking the rematch clause to his eye surgery. And then from his appearance as Frank Martin‘s promoter to reports of a potential matchup against Sebastian Fundora. What about the hints of tentative retirement? Now, a photo has surfaced, adding to the ongoing narrative.

It shows Errol Spence Jr. standing beside Brian Norman Jr., who recently became a full welterweight champion following ‘Bud’ Crawford’s departure from the division. However, it wasn’t just the photo that sparked conversation—Spence Jr.’s appearance caught the attention of fans, leading to a flurry of reactions.

Errol Spence Jr.: Bouncing back

@dantheboxingman shared the picture showing Norman Jr., wearing a ‘Pablo Escobar’ t-shirt, standing on Spence Jr.’s right. The former world champion, in white tees and orange trunks, is giving a thumbs up. July 29 marked the first anniversary of one of the most talked-about fights of modern times.

Following the defeat, Errol Spence Jr. triggered the loser’s rematch clause in September of last year. However, the initial flutter that witnessed Crawford losing his undisputed status as well fizzled over time as news filtered in that Spence Jr. had to undergo eye surgery. Subsequent months saw Crawford make a move to 154 pounds.

Fans saw the ‘Big Fish’ at the press conference of the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin title clash. Subsequent reports came that he would be making his light-middleweight debut with a potential fight against Sebastian Fundora. ‘The Towering Inferno’ gained prominence following his surprise victory over Tim Tszyu on March 30, PBC-Amazon Prime card. Reportedly, the Fundora and Spence Jr. camps agreed to an October showdown. However, updates on the match have been sparse thereafter.

Packing on Pounds

To most fans, nevertheless, those weren’t the concerning issues. It was the way Spence Jr. looked that seems to have bothered them. Let’s check what some of them had to say.

Perhaps recalling how, with his 6’6″ frame and 80-inch reach, Sebastian Fundora posed a visible threat, this fan urged Errol Spence Jr. to focus on his condition and stay in top shape. “Errol, get back in a gym; Fundora is waiting,” said the fan. Maybe during the time off the Crawford fight, Spence Jr. went a bit easy on his training regimen, thus leading to a natural weight increase. That could be the reason why the next fan felt that the Long Island-born boxer looked way beyond the 154 pounds. They said, “Errol looking 190.”

The following user restricted their estimation. Spence Jr. definitely looked much bigger than before. But to the user, the former champion appeared in the 160-168 range. “Errol is massive; he looks like a middleweight,” the user said.

The next fan had an entirely different take. While appreciative of both fighters, they seem to worry about the risks if either Norman Jr. or Spence Jr. . ever decided to go against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. This is what the fan said: “Don’t get me wrong, I like em both, but they both get cooked by Boots.”

Finally, this fan mentioned the challenges while putting a figure to fighters’ weights. Explaining the context, they highlighted how Spence Jr. stood out in comparison to Norman Jr. or Ryan Garcia. They said, “It’s so hard to gauge height/reach/weight on fighters… Norman looks small next to Errol… Errol looks small next to Ryan.”

There’s a good reason: Errol Spence Jr. could be training hard to prepare for the Fundora fight. Given that he hasn’t been much in the limelight, a sudden appearance gives the impression that he has bulked up.

His hints on retirement might still be speculative. But a win over Fundora would put Spence Jr. on par with Terence Crawford. So there’s a real chance the two could meet to unify the light middleweight championship. So what if the fans couldn’t watch a welterweight clash? A 154 showdown makes for an extremely good watch.

What do you feel? Does Spence Jr. really feel like increasing in size?