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Boxing prospect Errol Spence doesn’t need an entourage

Team USA's Errol Spence reacts after defeating Brazil's Myke Ribeiro de Carvalho after their welterweight match in the 2012 Olympics.

Team USA’s Errol Spence reacts after defeating Brazil’s Myke Ribeiro de Carvalho after their welterweight match in the 2012 Olympics.

(Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)
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Pay-per-view main events are for the finished products.

Saturday afternoons, in the case of Errol Spence Jr., are an opportunity to say, “I saw him when … .”

Spence, a 2012 U.S. Olympian from Dallas, will get time on NBC on Saturday at noon PT when the unbeaten welterweight appears on the Premier Boxing Champions show at a hometown venue called the Bomb Factory.

Spence (18-0, 15 knockouts) is a refreshing, gifted prospect who is committed to keeping his circle of supporters tight and exclusive as he strives to develop free of distractions caused by those tugging on him.

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“I do a lot of things myself, like training during the day and thinking about what I want to do about my life at night,” Spence said. “I have confidence in myself. I don’t need people around me telling me how great I am.

“I guess it’s natural that you see these boxers with their entourages, even when they go running. I run just with my dad and maybe my cousin, who’s an amateur boxer.

“I prefer to have people around me who’ve been with me since the start, not the guys that just come along now that they see me having great success, can see me going far and want to be a part of it.”

Spence will fight Mexico’s Alejandro Barrera (28-2, 18 KOs) in a bout that will precede the main event between Jermall Charlo versus Wilky Campfort in a super-welterweight fight.

“It’s my first time fighting at home as a professional. It’s great that my family and friends can watch me fight in person,” Spence said.

His recently expanded family will include his father, a truck driver/contractor, and mother, a UPS mail deliverer, who’ve been married 28 years. Spence and his girlfriend just had a daughter, 7-weeks-old Ivy, named after the fighter’s grandmother.

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“I get the work ethic from my parents. They’ve worked hard since I was a little kid,” Spence said. “I love being a new dad. It’s a huge change, but I like taking care of her even though I’m in training, so my girlfriend can get some sleep. Some might see it as a distraction. To me, it’s amazing motivation. I can’t let her down.”

Among the things Spence takes care of himself is cooking his own meals. He said a typical day will include egg whites with spinach, onions and avocado for a breakfast omelet, a light lunch of tilapia or salad, and salmon or grilled chicken with vegetables for dinner.

The do-it-yourself mind-set has helped make him one of the country’s top prospects as Spence has moved past what he said was the fencing-type scoring system of amateur boxing while training under and with professional fighters in his gym.

“My fights are exciting, even if they’re one-sided,” he said. “I throw punches, punch hard, use different angles. I’m fan-friendly without taking punishment. If you’re a fan of boxing, I’m who you want to see.

“I see stuff I can do better, small things I do wrong. Being so young, I can jump in or hurry instead of being like the older, more crafty fighters. Once I get the pacing down, I’ll be more relaxed and see everything better … once I do that, then I’ll be there.”

There, of course, are the main events he appears destined for.

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