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Errol Spence Jr. arrives for Sunday’s press conference ready and focused on the day’s press activities. This is the first time that Manny Pacquiao, Unified Champion and 8 Division World Champion, will appear together to promote their August Super Fight.
Throughout his boxing journey, he succeeds where others have found it difficult. Flanked by a harmonious team and a strong support system, he maintains the same Zen calm for which he is known. Inner peace fueled by family, farm animals and the desire to be an all-time great.
Now his full attention is on the fight he has been leading since 2019. An opportunity against Manny Pacquiao, a guaranteed Hall of Famer in the first round who will be remembered as an all-time greats, regardless of the outcome.
After the press conference ended, Errol Spence Jr. spoke with BoxingInsider.com beyond the usual questions of camp and strategy. The unified WBC and IBF champion explains how he keeps his training harmonious, Pacquiao’s best wins, why life on the farm works for him and what he has learned from his group of animals.
BI: Earlier you were talking about your dad and your coaches and how you do it. How have you been able to manage these relationships so well during your career?
ESJ: I feel like a lot of fathers try to take over the coaching job, and the coach pushes back. For me, I make sure they are separated. My dad could tell me things, and I take what I think is good. My trainer might tell me some things that I think are good, and if I don’t [think it’s good], I do nothing with it. It’s just two separate entities telling me two different things.
BI: Earlier I asked you about some of Pacquiao’s best wins. What is a big victory for you? Lots of fighters in fights, but what do you think is a great victory?
ESJ: I like to see the execution. I would say a big win for me is Bernard Hopkins against Tito Trinidad. It was a great victory for me.
He basically defeated a country. A lot of people would say Trinidad was the favorite. Bernard came in and did his thing, perfected his strategy and beat him, and beat him.
BI: You look at Barnard, who fought until his forties. You are about to fight a man in his forties. Is this a path you are considering for yourself? Do you want that kind of trajectory where you’re still a killer at 40? Or do you have a cutoff point?
ESJ: If I still beat young people, yes, I will fight. I think if there comes a time when I step in the ring and someone beats me, that’s not supposed to beat me, or if I can’t get away from the punches, I’ll take my retirement.
I’m always smart with my finances and stuff like that so I can get out of sports when I need to. So as long as I keep winning or it’s a near loss to someone you could lose to, it’s okay, but if I lose to someone, I have nothing to lose to, or I got me beat in sparring, it’s time to hang up the ride.
BI: This [the fight against Pacquiao] is a big fight. A lot of big fights don’t happen for some reason, even when the fighters have the same handling. Everyone thinks they know the boxing profession, whether they work in it or not. What’s the key to having a big fight that the outside doesn’t know?
ESJ: You should know that there is definitely a lot of politics in boxing. There’s a lot of tugging going on and things like that.
The easiest fights to do are fights in the same circle. That’s why Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Ugas, Pacquiao, everyone mixes up because everyone is under the same umbrella.
A lot of guys don’t go out. You might have guys like Matchroom who might be with Top Rank on the business side. It shouldn’t be like that, but there is a lot of politics in boxing that prevents big fights from happening.
BI: When fighters get to your level, some feel like they need to change their personality. You have maintained the same balanced personality throughout your career. Why did this formula work for you?
ESJ: It’s my mentality. I’m not caught up in the hype at all. I’m the kind of person who after a fight my whole plan is to disappear. Once this fight is over, I will be invisible for two or three months.
Time at home, I’m with my kids, and I relax, and I don’t try to be disturbed. I don’t care if I’m in front of the camera, and I don’t even care if my name is mentioned. When the job calls, it’s time to do it. I don’t try to be at the forefront of everything.
BI: With this cooling, you have children, a life on the farm and animals. You have horses. They seem to have brought you to a different level of peace and zen. How do they help you? What can we learn from animals?
ESJ: One thing, it really gives me a lot to do. It keeps me busy and the horses reassure you. I didn’t start riding until after my accident.
I moved outside of the city limits, the outskirts and had a ranch and didn’t know a thing about it. But I learned on the job, I had cows and stuff like that. The horses are a bit majestic. And you can learn a lot from them, especially patience. Something so big and so strong, you have to have patience. They can get scared very quickly and kick or whatever.
BI: How was that first time on horseback? You are an athlete. Have you jumped on the horse without fear?
ESJ: I was fearless, but I was always careful. I jumped on a good trained horse, so it didn’t do anything. He had a good temper and stuff like that. But what yeah, I was a little fearless because, you know I’m an adventurous person, but it was different than what I used to do because at first I told myself I wouldn’t even touch a horse or a cow.
BI: Well, the fans in general have a lot of respect for you. There are many factions on social media and fans, but fans universally like you regardless of their affiliation. What do you say to these fans?
ESJ: I appreciate everyone’s support. I appreciate that everyone lets me have my peace sometimes. I think a lot of people don’t understand that I’m kind of an introverted person. So, I need my space.
And then every once in a while but, you know, I like when it’s fight time, you know I do, do I have to be done and do my interviews and stuff like that, but I like my peace of mind. But I appreciate that everyone stays with me and supports me. It’s a good time, and I’m having fun while I’m young and on top.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence Jr. takes place on Saturday, August 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. For the full interview, please visit BoxingInsider’s YouTube channel.
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