Errol Spence Jr. added onto his previous claim of suffering from cataracts during his July 29th fight with Terence Crawford with another claim of an injury; this time revolving around a bruised or injured rib. After having remained quiet on the sidelines since his loss to Crawford, Spence has burst loose with a second claim of injury just this week.
“And week of the fight, I got cleared for a shot in my side.” Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KO’s) Tweeted on January 10th.
Even though Spence did not explain which fight he was referring to and what he meant by “shot in my side”, the Twitter post he made was deleted not long after. Errol Spence Jr.’s latter assertion appears to refer to either pain or injury that he had prior to entering the “fight”―which was presumably his July 29th fight based on recent statements he made surrounding his loss to Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KO’s).
With Spence revealing within just one week that he got cleared for a second alleged injury, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has been drawn into this dispute as part of their responsibility counts towards clearing fighters. Spence’s statements point towards sheer incompetence from NSAC, compounding with reports earlier this week of them approving a fighter for a bout after he was scanned positively twice for a brain aneurysm.
According to Spence, NSAC cleared him for two separate injury; one concerning cataracts and another a potential rib injury or bruising. Though Spence has yet to provide verifiable proof for his injuries prior to his undisputed welterweight match last year, the Long Island-born fighter’s claims―if true―suggest NSAC’s medical evaluations are not up to standard for modern-day fighters.
It is hard to fathom how a fighter with two injuries could still be cleared to fight in a title match that was scheduled for twelve rounds given NSAC is expected to employ well-accredited medical professionals for their examinations pertaining to combat athletes, given the risks that each fighter faces going into their match. Spence’s claims therefore point towards gross negligence on the part of NSAC who are supposed to ensure that each fighter is fully healthy prior to their professional matches.
However, despite Spence’s assertions, it is hard to pinpoint NSAC as the sole party liable as Spence’s own team bears similar responsibilities to make sure their fighter is prepared and healthy prior to going into a match.
It should be noted that Spence’s claims are hard to proof, as he would identifiable proof of injuries shortly prior or after his fight with Crawford to at least indicate whether his claims are factual. Despite no such evidence having been provided by Errol Spence Jr. and his team, NSAC continues to be bombarded with blows to their reputation following Spence’s latest claims and referee Tony Weeks’ recent revelation of a fighter allowed to fight after having been diagnosed for brain aneurysm.
There are indications that Spence is disingenuous, but without NSAC or any of the parties involved with his medical testing yet to respond to this matter, this issue is very much left to public opinion rather than verifiable facts.
