Now a Star, Errol Spence Jr. Needs an Opponent

Saturday night was a bit sobering for boxing junkies who've been binging on the welterweight division since Keith Thurman's epic unanimous-decision win over Shawn Porter last June.

For the first time in a year, fans are faced with the possibility that the once-seemingly limitless well of scintillating matchups has gone dry.

Yes, Errol Spence Jr.'s 11th-round knockout of now-former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook exceeded lofty expectations. Not only did the new champ, Spence (22-0, 19 knockouts), reveal a remarkably strong chin, consistently dangerous jab, and ample power, but he did so in front of a venomously hostile crowd of 27,000 fans at Bramall Lane Football Ground in Brook's hometown of Sheffield, England.

Before Brook wisely called it quits in the 11th, by which point his left orbital bone was fractured, he and Spence delivered another crystal clear example of why welterweight is easily boxing's best division. The two fighters were perfectly matched, both endured tremendous punishment, and outside of the 10th, when Brook was knocked down, every round was impossibly difficult to score with any confidence.

The division has avoided a lot of contractual issues thanks to the fact that many of its best fighters are signed to Al Haymon's Premiere Boxing Champions—a list that includes Spence and WBA/WBC titlist Thurman, as well as former champions Porter, Lamont Peterson, Amir Khan, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, and Danny Garcia. But perhaps more significantly, today's best welterweights are expected to fight each other, which is why Brook took the risk of defending his crown against a rising talent like Spence, rather than handing it over and moving up to 154 pounds where he'd have less of an issue making weight.

For his part, Spence was eager to keep the division's momentum going after Saturday's win, performing the customary duty of a new champion by calling for a unification bout.

"I want to unify divisions," Spence said. "I want all the champions. I want [Keith] Thurman, [WBO champion] Manny Pacquiao. I want to fight the best, just like true champions do."

Thurman seemed up for it, congratulating Spence on Twitter while adding that there isn't a true champion until they fight each other.

But true champions also have to deal with annoying things like injuries and competing business interests, which is where that sobering reality comes back into play.

Thurman is recovering from surgery aimed at removing loose bodies and calcium deposits in his right elbow, and that will keep him and his two titles out of action for at least the remainder of 2017. And as much as Thurman wants to return quickly, he needs to take a long-term approach with this problem.

"One thing for sure, the doctor doesn't want me to rush back into action,'' Thurman said. "You can't jump back into the race too soon. It might start to feel good after a month or two, but you don't want to rush it. My right elbow's job is to launch punches like a missile. It might feel good, but it might not be able to sustain that. It might cause inflammation to develop, and then you have to wait to let it calm down and feel better. I figure a four-month recovery will be quick. The doctor recommended six months of no action, before training. I won't rush it.''

And as for Pacquiao, icy relations between his promoter, Top Rank, and PBC won't make for an easy negotiation for a potential unification bout with Spence. Then there's the fact that Pacquiao is gearing up for a July 2 matchup with Australia's Jeff Horn in Brisbane, so he's not going to be ready to fight anytime soon after.

That's unfortunate for Spence, an undefeated 27-year-old American champion who should be on the verge of amassing great wealth and fame, but will instead be looking to hold onto his title long enough to see a lucrative unification bout.

Porter is currently awaiting a mandatory rematch with Thurman, and judging from his relatively easy TKO-win over Berto in April, the former IBF champion is apparently still improving at 29.

Broner is talented and well known, but according to multiple reports, he's eyeing a catch-weight fight with WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia.

Khan hasn't been shy about expressing his desire to fight his countryman Brook, who will likely need another eye surgery. But Khan has also made overtures to Peterson via Twitter.

The most intriguing potential matchup for Spence might not be Thurman, but unified super lightweight champion Terence Crawford, who is likely making his way up to 147 pounds.

The problem there is that Crawford wants to become the undisputed king at 140 pounds by beating WBA/IBF champ Julius Indongo. And even after he's done that, Crawford's first fight at welterweight might be against Pacquiao, since both are promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank.

It would truly be a shame if the current logjam at 147 pounds led to a period of inactivity for Spence, whose victory on Saturday seemed to address all of his critics' concerns.

"I came here to his back yard in front of 30,000," Spence said. "That's what real champions do. I fought a real champion tonight and I proved non-believers that I can fight. I've proven I have a chin and I have true grit."

And according to Spence, he wasn't even at his best.

"I was overshooting my left," he said. "I give myself a B-minus. I had a little trouble overusing my counter left.

For boxing fans, the thought of Spence delivering an A-plus performance against a Thurman, Pacquiao, or Crawford is too much to hope for just yet.