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Errol Spence Jr Breaks His Silence: Crawford, The Crash, Derrick James & Tim Tszyu

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Errol Spence Jr. in Houston: Training Camp for Tim Tszyu (July 26)

Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. sits down with the host “Square Up” in Houston during training camp as he prepares for his next fight against Tim Tszyu on July 26—in Tszyu’s hometown.

Spence says his mindset is “hold on to my family”, staying focused on throwing punches as long as he can, while brushing off outside noise.

Camp, Life Outside Boxing, and Identity

  • Ranch life

    • Spence describes his ranch life as roughly 60 acres, with about 20–30 cows and horses.
    • He frames it as a place where his kids can play, ride ATVs, and experience a fuller life.

  • Hair / “rat tail”

    • He discusses wanting his “rat tail” since childhood.
    • He’s adapted it into his current look through a one-week hair change/wig-style approach.

  • Learning to “own” the story

    • Spence says he hasn’t fully “soaked in the moment” after past fights because he’s always moving to what’s next.
    • For Tszyu’s hometown bout, he plans to lean into the cultural narrative of arriving like a “villain” trying to take over—likening it to his Kell Brook moment in Sheffield.

Key Motivations for the Tszyu Fight (July 26)

  • Turning boos into fuel

    • Spence says being booed and facing hostile fans motivates him.
    • He recalls a Kell Brook walkout where fans threw chocolate at him—saying he didn’t fear it and instead used it for energy.

  • Returning after a layoff

    • He describes being away for “three years” (as framed in the interview).
    • He also tells a “dope moment” story about coming to Australia/Sydney as an underdog conquering an arena.

Coaching Transition

  • From Derrick James to Ronnie Shields

    • Spence explains the shift in training, saying he felt he’d been growing stagnant by repeating the same patterns—even while still dominating opponents.

  • Why the change feels “fresh”

    • With Shields, he says he’s learning new things and sharpening defense:
      • keeping his head off the line
      • slipping after punches
      • not simply standing and trading

  • Accountability and film

    • Spence emphasizes that confidence comes from continuing to watch film, hear feedback, and take accountability himself—stressing it’s both fighter and team responsibility.

Origins and Early Boxing Career

  • Background

    • Born in New York and raised in Minnesota, Spence says boxing entered his life largely through his father’s influence, including a passion for Lennox Lewis—even though the area was football-heavy.

  • Early start and relentless training

    • He began fighting very young (around age 15).
    • Confidence came from constant gym work—training about seven days a week and studying boxing nonstop.

  • Amateur achievements

    • He mentions youth amateur success, including multiple national titles and Golden Gloves–related achievements (as referenced in the subtitles).
    • He notes an early “natural” feel of power stopping opponents.

Olympics Experience (London)

  • Team USA (2012) and later representation
    • Spence recalls competing for Team USA at London 2012, facing a disqualification/displacement.
    • He later represented Haiti, calling it “dope” despite bitterness tied to the robbery/overturning situation and a loss to Russia after the earlier controversy.

Pro Career Turning Points (Selected)

  • Al Haymon partnership

    • Spence talks about signing with Al Haymon early.
    • He highlights his father’s counsel and Haymon’s long-term planning beyond short-term money—life after boxing, longevity, and ensuring Spence is taken care of.

  • Sparring Floyd Mayweather

    • He describes sparring Mayweather as intense, “dog house” pressure:
      • brief conflict
      • getting back in
      • nonstop work
    • He says he didn’t focus on bragging afterward.

  • Major fights and momentum

    • 2017: A title fight abroad/overseas (Carroll referenced in the subtitles)
      • He describes being relentless overseas despite timing/layoff challenges.
    • 2019: AT&T Stadium (Dallas)
      • He discusses the walkout and the energy of a strong home crowd.
      • He references a late surge where the crowd went wild around the 9th/10th round range (as referenced in the subtitles).
    • Car crash period and recovery
      • He covers the crash aftermath and how he continued his career afterward.

Major Car Crash: Errol’s Comeback and Aftermath

Spence discusses the infamous accident involving a Ferrari around 3–4 a.m.

  • What happened (as he learned later)

    • He says he doesn’t remember much immediately after.
    • Later he learned he was going roughly 70 mph (as referenced in subtitles).
    • He says he flew out of the car but survived a severe impact.

  • Why he believes he survived

    • He attributes it to God/“angels.”
    • He also suggests a seatbelt likely helped save him.

  • Recovery details

    • Months of bruising and injuries (including face, hips, ankles, shoulders).
    • Broken front teeth requiring daily gluing/repair.
    • A short stretch where his mouthpiece situation wasn’t ideal because he didn’t want new dental work right away.

  • Mental determination

    • He says he returned psychologically determined and never seriously considered quitting—even when others expected him to be ruined.

Later Accidents and a “Hardheaded” Mindset

  • Additional incidents

    • Spence mentions extra fender-benders afterward.
    • He references a moment involving a bulletproof vehicle, believing it likely prevented worse harm.

  • Stubborn attitude and staying safe

    • He frames himself as hardheaded/stubborn.
    • Over time, he says he learned how to be safer around his family.
    • He describes a feeling that “nothing bad ever happens” when he’s with them.

Pacquiao, Ugás, Crawford, and Post-Fight Life

  • Pacquiao (2021) and the eye issue

    • Spence recalls Pacquiao being announced and training—then later learning something significant had occurred (as referenced in the subtitles: hearing “the pop,” sparring through it, and eye damage/timing).
    • He says he never mentally believed his career was over.

  • Return after surgery concerns

    • He explains the vision challenge led to time off and returning with rebuilding stability and confidence after surgery concerns.

  • Ugás (2022)

    • Spence describes his win over Yordenis Ugás as looking like a “fresh brand new” version of him:
      • relentless pressure
      • dominance
    • He says he wasn’t worried about eye issues recurring, though he did get nervous briefly when his mouthpiece came out.

  • Public perception swings

    • He notes how fans/media switch narratives—jumping on the bandwagon after dominance, then acting like they knew all along.
    • His motto: never too high, never too low.

Life After Boxing: Identity Shift

  • Feeling lost after the sport

    • Spence describes months where he felt lost after boxing (about 7–8 months, as referenced in the subtitles).
    • He struggled with what to do without training structure.

  • Purpose becomes family

    • He says his “purpose” became family:
      • being fully present
      • traveling with his kids
      • building routines (including soccer multiple times a week and weekend games)
      • spending time with nieces/nephews and horseback riding

  • Enjoying the process

    • He emphasizes enjoying what’s in front of him, knowing careers can end quickly.

Negotiating the Crawford Fight

Spence recounts negotiations with Terence Crawford:

  • Al Haymon’s role

    • Haymon is portrayed as aggressive and protective of Spence.

  • Why the fight ultimately got pushed

    • Spence says the push came after spending time seeing Crawford and hearing enough that it needed to get done.

  • Spence’s maturity in negotiation

    • He frames his own role as maturity—being able to negotiate directly rather than waiting on managers/promoters.

Closing: What He Wants to Prove (54–58 Pounds Range)

  • What he expects vs. Tszyu

    • Spence says he’s aiming to dominate and put on a show.
    • He expects Tszyu to come forward and punish him.

  • Flexible weight plans

    • He says future divisions are flexible depending on how he feels (with mentions of moving toward 59/62 or similar in the subtitles).

  • Enjoying fight night (and timing note)

    • Spence ends by emphasizing enjoying the moment and the process.
    • He promises to “mess something up” around fight night—while the subtitles reference July 25, and he earlier states the fight is July 26.

Presenters / Sources (as referenced)

  • Host: Square Up (podcast/show host)
  • Guest: Errol Spence Jr.
  • Training referenced: Ronnie Shields
  • Prior training referenced: Derrick James
  • Promoter referenced: Al Haymon (Al)
  • Other boxing figures referenced: Tim Tszyu, Kell Brook, Floyd Mayweather, Lennox Lewis, (and additional figures referenced in subtitles such as) Pacquiao, Terence Crawford, Ugás, and others mentioned in passing (e.g., Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, Michael Garcia).

Original video