Errol Spence Reveals Why He Fought Crawford Despite Warning Signs

“I knew that this maximum payout is going to take care of my family. Even if I’m not here, it’s going to take care of my family,” said Spence to Andre Ward’s channel. “It’ll take care of me. I didn’t know if I was going to box again ever again.

“That’s why I took so long off. I didn’t know if I was going to box again, do anything. So, I was like, ‘Bro, I’m still going to fight.’ It just is what it is. I’m not going to make no excuses about it. Whatever criticism comes with it, whatever criticism comes with it. But at the end of the day, I’m doing it for a bigger picture.”

Spence said he entered the bout believing it could still be competitive, but admitted his body had been giving him warning signs for weeks before fight night.

“I was tired, bro. I already knew,” Spence said. “In my mind, I thought this fight was going to be competitive, and I could win, but I’d been feeling it for probably a month and some change. I kind of felt like it could be bad, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be a man. I wasn’t going to not fight.”

Rather than withdraw, Spence accepted the risk, knowing the purse would provide long-term security for his family regardless of the outcome.

The defeat ended Spence’s reign atop the welterweight division and shelved an immediate rematch with Crawford. He instead stepped away from boxing for nearly three years, saying the break allowed him to recover physically, improve his health, and spend more time with his family before deciding to resume his career.