Eddie Hearn claims Errol Spence Jr. declined years before Crawford fight

Promoter Eddie Hearn believes the decline of Errol Spence Jr. began long before his 2023 defeat by Terence Crawford. Hearn, who promoted Spence during his 2017 victory over Kell Brook, described the former welterweight champion as a shell of himself during his recent outing.

According to Hearn, the version of Spence that traveled to Sheffield to stop the IBF champion in 2017 was significantly different from the fighter seen in recent years. The promoter noted that the high-level performance displayed during the Brook fight represented Spence in his prime.

Evidence of this decline can be traced back to the period before Spence's October 2019 car accident. The fighter struggled with weight management, often gaining significant weight between bouts. Following his victory over Shawn Porter in September 2019, Spence admitted to gaining more than 25 pounds and spending training camps attempting to lose the excess weight.

After a year-long absence caused by the car crash, Spence returned to defeat Danny Garcia in December 2020. However, the dominance seen in his earlier career was missing against the 32-year-old Garcia. Difficulties continued in 2022 against Yordenis Ugas, who managed to hurt Spence in the sixth round before the fight ended in the tenth.

While Terence Crawford secured a ninth-round stoppage by dropping Spence three times in July 2023, the result may not be the sole cause of Spence's diminished form. The combination of weight struggles, physical toll from intense fights, inactivity, and the aftermath of his car accident had already impacted his capabilities.