Errol Spence Jr outpoints Danny Garcia in winning return to ring after car crash

Champion’s driving accident in October 2019 almost derailed his boxing career

Errol Spence Jr earned a unanimous decision 117-111, 116-112, 116-112) victory (Getty Images)

Errol Spence Jr retained his WBC and IBF welterweight titles with a unanimous decision win against Danny Garcia on Saturday night in the Texan's first fight since a car crash that nearly ruined his boxing career.

Two judges scored it 116-112 for Spence and the other 117-111 in the home of NFL franchise the Dallas Cowboys. It was Spence's third title defence on his home turf and came 14 months after he survived a high-speed driving accident near downtown Dallas.

The crash in October 2019 occurred a month after a thrilling split-decision victory over Shawn Porter in Los Angeles. Spence (27-0, 21 knockouts) went the distance for the third straight time to beat Garcia (36-3, 21 knockouts), whose three losses have come in his last six fights.

The crowd of 16,102 was considered a sellout in the pandemic. It filled approximately 20 percent of AT&T Stadium's 80,000-seat capacity, with fans spread through all four decks and spacing between a few hundred pairs of chairs at ring level.

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Garcia tried to surge late, landing a right near the end of the 11th round that sent Spence looking for his corner just as the bell sounded with Garcia closing in for more.

With Garcia's right eye and nose swollen — the latter after a small cut in the early rounds — the Philadelphia fighter tried to keep the momentum in the final round but Spence steadied himself as both fighters tried to land one last big punch before the final bell.

Both fighters landed several punches in the most intense stretch to that point in the middle of the eighth round. Spence pinned Garcia on the ropes with a series of blows before Garcia escaped and steadied before the end of the round.

Spence tried to attack through the middle rounds, with Garcia ducking under a few of the harder punches while grazing Spence's head with a wild right hook as the Texan leaned back to avoid the swing late in the fifth round.

The first two rounds were mostly quiet, until Garcia appeared to throw and land a left hook just after the bell ending the second. Garcia appeared to slip early in the third, with the referee signalling it wasn't a knockdown. Garcia didn't appear hurt but did need treatment for a small cut on the bridge of his nose after the third.

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