By Tony “The Fighting Writer” Luis

This past weekend, rising welterweight, Errol Spence, JR., made the jump from prospect to bonafide contender. Heading into this fight with Chris Algieri, Spence, JR. was doing everything expected of him to stake his claim as a future star in the sport. The highlight reel knockouts, the skills, the Olympic pedigree, the reputation as a workhorse in the gym.. but he had yet to fight an opponent who could pose a serious threat to that undefeated record. Of course, grooming a prospect does not happen overnight. If managers listen to the fans every time, they could very well jeopardize their investment and the prospect suffers a premature loss. After all, there is a certain magic in letting suspense build and leaving the public craving for more, before giving them what they want. That is how fighters build a following. But it is also a good way to create some division. For every fan that was hailing Spence as the next big thing, there were critics saying he had a puffed up record, who was being made to shine against patsies for opponents. In hindsight, that is not a fair assessment. Truth be told, the 2012 Olympian’s rise was no different then any other prospect’s rise to prominence.

While the trio of Samuel Vargas, Phil Logreco, and Chris Van Heerden may not be world-class, they are certainly not patsies. But to whom much is given, much is expected. Critics are good. We need them to stir up debate. Debate creates controversy. And controversy sells. Like the old saying goes, it doesn’t matter if they’re talking good or bad about you. As long as they’re talking about you. After Saturday night however, it’s doubtful Errol Spence left much room for debate. Critics can say Chris Algieri did not possess the power to test Spence’s chin, but Algieri’s skills and world class merits cannot be in question. This was a significant step up for Spence and he passed with flying colors. Though certainly not worthy of being called great just yet (and not for awhile), the mark of a great fighter is one who can make presumably tough fights look easy. On Saturday night, Spence was not supposed to make Algieri look like the journeymen Spence has mowed through to get to this point. But he did.

Algieri was a former world champion who surprised everyone in the game when he sprang out of nowhere, then sprang off the canvas twice, before getting up to outbox the Siberian bear, Ruslan Provodnikov. Not an easy feat, and certainly one many other fighters would not have accomplished on that night. It led to Algieri getting thoroughly beaten by the great Manny Pacquaio a few months later. But not before getting up 6 times against the legendary Filipino and being able to say he went the distance. Algieri would get a chance at redemption against Amir Khan in the first half of 2015. Though he didn’t get the victory, he surprised many by showing he can fight different styles, as he uncharacteristically began walking Khan down and closing the gap on the scorecards towards the end of the fight. A win over Algieri was supposed to springboard Khan to massive paydays versus Pacquaio or Mayweather. That didn’t happen. Fans were no longer clamoring for it. Chris Algieri had something to do with that.

All this to say, Algieri had been in with punchers before. His chin passed the test. He proved he could grit his teeth and fight through immense adversity against championship-level opposition. Surely, Spence could not outperform the Pacman. After all, we are talking about a legend with a resume that Spence’s cannot light a candle too..yet. Spence, JR. tore through Algieri, and logic, as he stopped Algieri in 5 rounds. He beat him from pillar to post and scored 3 knockdowns before the referee was forced to say enough is enough. Spence made his point.

He is here to stay, and he means business. Potentially big business as he is now seemingly headed to a big showdown versus IBF champ Kell Brook. Most likely, Spence will have to travel behind enemy lines and face Brook in his backyard at Wembley Stadium. Beating Algieri the way Spence did was impressive. But now there is no turning back. The development stage is over. From here on in, the fights will get tougher and the fans will always want more. Despite Spence’s potential, this writer feels he may be biting off more than he can chew against Kell Brook. But it doesn’t matter what I think. Spence seems ready to face what lies ahead, at full speed, head-on. The Errol Spence story is getting interesting. Buckle up fans, we’re in for a ride.

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