Veteran fighter. Replacement fighter. It could have been a robot fighter for all Errol Spence Jr. cared. Whoever was climbing in that ring short of a time-traveling Sugar Ray Robinson was getting put on the ground Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Broner vs Porter, Spence vs Lo Greco highlights: June 20, 2015
Phil Lo Greco (26-2, 14 KOs) was game on short notice, filling in for Roberto Garcia, but he couldn’t do anything to slow Spence (17-0, 14 KOs) who came out on a mission to put on a show—and more than delivered on that promise.
Lo Greco came out feisty, showering Errol Spence Jr. in body shots, but despite hammering away with combinations, he didn’t seem to faze the undefeated Texan.
“I think the first round I was rushing a little bit. I was jumping in and I was trying too hard,” Spence said. “In the second round I got back to the game plan and started breaking him down to the body, going upstairs and using my jab.”
“Breaking down” is putting it delicately. Spence brought a howitzer to bear on Lo Greco’s body, wobbling the Canadian at one point. More importantly, the abuse left Lo Greco moving through quicksand. It was just a matter of time, as Spence completely took over.
It didn’t take long for the grind to wear down Lo Greco. Around 35 seconds into the second round, Spence decked Lo Greco with a body shot, and as soon as he got up, Spence went back on the attack.
“At the beginning of the second round when I started using my jab and started being patient, he started slowing down a lot,” Spence said. “I started seeing the shots opening up from there.”
It was all over but the crying at that point. Spence pinned Lo Greco on the ropes and fired at will. Referee Robert Byrd saw enough and waved it off at 1:50 of the third round.
The win leaves Spence undefeated and on the cusp of doing big things in the stacked 147-pound division.
“It’s very exciting,” Spence said. “I’m the first person on a PBC on NBC card this year to get a knockout. It’s great. It was a great opportunity. It was my first time fighting on a big card like this. It was great exposure.”
For the full recap of Spence vs Lo Greco including video, photos and more, make sure to visit our fight page.
Errol Spence Jr. pounded Phil Lo Greco on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to notch the third-round stoppage. (Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions)
