Undefeated Olympian Errol Spence (17-0, 14 KOs) will face his sternest opposition to date when he faces South African welterweight Chris Van Heerden (23-1-1, 12 KOs) on the undercard of Adonis Stevenson vs. Tommy Karpency, airing September 11 on Spike TV.
Spence is riding a four-fight KO streak capped by a three-round demolition of Phil Lo Greco In June. Already pegged by Floyd Mayweather as a future star, Spence is looking to raise his profile to earn marquee matchups against fellow PBC welterweights.
Heerden, a nine-year veteran, has posted wins over Sebastian Lujan, Cosme Rivera, and Matthew Hatton. In January, he earned an hard-fought split decision win over Cecil McCalla on Roc Nation Sports’ inaugural “Throne Boxing” card.
“We are very happy to have Spence versus Van Heerden as the televised co-feature on our September 11th event in Toronto,” said Yvon Michel, card co-promoter and GYM president. “They are two of the most talented welterweights in the world. This match-up has all of the makings of an exciting, explosive, fan-friendly fight. We’re thrilled that boxing fans in the U.S. and Canada will be able to watch this fight, as well as ‘Superman’ Stevenson against Karpency, on national television.”
Stevenson vs. Karpency will air on Spike TV.
Van Heerden isn’t a name that’s going to grab casual fans, but this is a very good fight for Spence. At this stage of his development, he needs credible contenders who are still hungry and not shopworn.
Van Heerden fits the bill. I was ringside for his Roc Nation bout and he showed a lot of grit and willingness to bring strong, mauling pressure. Heerden’s size (5’11 to Spence’s 5’9) will make that a new look and challenge for Spence.
If Spence shines, then the prospect of him facing a guy like Keith Thurman in 2016 begins to make more sense.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 