Roy Jones Jr. says he will travel to Dallas, Texas tomorrow to train inactive former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. He says that he wants to see “where he is” to help him possibly come back.
The 35-year-old Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) has not fought since losing a ninth round knockout to Terence Crawford on July 29, 2023 in Las Vegas. It was a bad loss for Errol as he was never competitive against the faster, more skilled Crawford.
Spence headlined Vergil Ortiz Jr’s fight against Erickson Lubin last Saturday at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. After the fight, Vergil Jr., who knocked out Lubin in the second round, said he was interested in possibly fighting Spence next. This is a fight that will play big in Texas as both fighters are from that state.
Jones wants to “see where he’s at”
“A lot of people really love Errol Spence. I’m supposed to go work with him tomorrow,” Roy Jones Jr. said. All The Smoke about his plans to work with Errol Spence. “I’m going to Dallas to work with him a little bit, I’ll see where he is and where he can get back to.
If the idea is that Spence along with Roy jr. have to train and then go straight into a fight against Ortiz jr. spring (24-0, 22 KOs), it sounds like a bad thing to do. It would see Errol come back for a paycheck after 2 1/2 years of inactivity, a bad knockout loss and a terrible car accident.
Sounds like a rotten plan, unless Spence is tight for money. What exactly is Jones Jr. hoping for? to achieve by training Errol? Is it for a full return or just rehab? To train Spence for a full return against Vergil Ortiz Jr. or one of the 154-lb champions will be the equivalent of send him to the guillotine.
Spence was never the same after the accident
There are no words to describe how bad an idea this is. Spence stopped being his former self after his October 2019 high-speed car crash in Dallas. That crash didn’t just wreck Spence’s Ferrari, it did something to him.
“I do want to see him get back on his horse and ride again,” says Jones Jr. “Those fans at the fight last weekend (Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas), they want to see him get back on the horse and ride again. So, if I can help him, I’ll see what I can do.”
Return or cash grab?
If only for Spence to get a big payday against Vergil Jr. to get, it will send a bad message to fans. Even the late George Foreman lit his way back when he had long since retired. For Spence to come right back and for Vergil Jr. fight, will be sad, especially if he is badly beaten by Ortiz Jr.
“I don’t have to be his coach. I just want to help him get going and see what I can do,” Roy Jr. said. about Spence. “If he likes it, cool. Just get back up. We all go through these things. The important thing is, can you get back up? You’re not judged by how you go down. It’s by how you get up. All of us want to see him.”
Is Spence Jr. physically and mentally ready to return after two years out and a brutal loss to Crawford? Coming back against a bottom feeder at 147 or 154 would be fine for Errol, but not against Vergil Ortiz Jr. That would be foolish and asking for trouble. Of course Golden Boy would post it on DAZN PPV.
The fans who bought the spectacle will be upset when it turns out to be a bit of a mismatch than Spence’s loss to Crawford. If Spence was still in his prime, this would be a great fight. But not after two years of inactivity, a knockout loss and just a shell of his former self since the 2019 car accident.
If he fights again, start small
It sounds great that Jones Jr. wants to train Spence, but he needs to talk some sense into him to get him to ease his way back, not just fight Ortiz Jr and get ripped to pieces. He has been out of the ring for too long; he’s in his mid-30s, and he’s looked poor in his three fights since his 2019 car crash in Dallas.
“If he’s had just one fight for the fun of it, say, ‘I’m just going out on my shield, I’m going out right.’ I’m cool with that too. I’m going to go out tomorrow and give him a few days of work,” Roy Jones Jr. said.
Would it be career suicide to jump straight into a Vergil fight, or the payday Spence can’t turn down? The money will be excellent for Errol who Ortiz Jr. fight If he’s sore for dough after two years out of the ring, it’s worth it as long as his trainer is ready to throw in the towel quickly once he starts shelling out. It depends on how financially needy Errol is.
Errol didn’t have to “go out on his shield” if he came back against a lower level fighter who wasn’t a threat to hit him.
Last updated on 11/11/2025
