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Errol Spence Jr. seriously injured in car crash in Dallas

Erroll Spence Jr. is declared champion by referee Jack Reiss after defeating Shawn Porter on Sept. 28 at Staples Center.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
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Errol Spence Jr. was seriously injured Thursday morning when he crashed his car near downtown Dallas but is expected to survive.

The unified welterweight world champion was in intensive care at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, according to reports.

“Errol was in an accident, and his parents are with him at the hospital,” Premier Boxing Champions spokesman Tim Smith told ESPN. “The doctors are monitoring his condition, but his injuries are not life-threatening. We will have further updates as the doctors update his condition. We’re all wishing the best for Errol.”

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According to Dallas police, Spence was driving his Ferrari at “a high rate of speed” at 2:53 a.m. when the car veered over a meridian and flipped multiple times.

Spence, 29, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle, police said.

Shawn Porter, who lost a split decision to Spence in a welterweight unification bout Sept. 28 at Staples Center, responded to the accident on Twitter.

“I’m praying for @ErrolSpenceJr & his family because he has a lot of life to live,” Porter wrote, “and I pray he recovers quickly & fully.”

Spence (26-0, 21 knockouts) is a star in his hometown of Dallas, where he overwhelmed previously unbeaten Mikey Garcia by unanimous decision in front of more than 47,000 fans at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in March.

“Watching him grow up right before our eyes as a product of Dallas is something that we’ve all been very proud to see,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Spence earlier this year. “The Cowboys and our fans hold him in very high regard, both as a boxer and a wonderful representative of our community. Errol is a champion with class and style, and he is worthy of the largest stage in the world.”

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