ARLINGTON, Texas – Danny Garcia doesn’t think there’s a whole lot that separates the three opponents who’ve beaten him. (photo by Ryan Hafey)

The former junior welterweight and welterweight champ considers Errol Spence Jr. stronger than Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, yet otherwise thinks they’re comparable boxers. Spence dealt Garcia the most decisive defeat of his 13-year pro career Saturday night, a 12-round, unanimous-decision loss in their FOX Sports Pay-Per-View main event at AT&T Stadium.

A disappointed Garcia agreed with the outcome of their welterweight title fight. The 32-year-old Philadelphia native had a harder time accepting his split-decision defeat to Thurman in March 2017 and his unanimous-decision loss to Porter in September 2018.

“You know, I feel like they’re kinda all on the same level,” Garcia said during their post-fight press conference. “[Spence is] just – I think he has a better jab and he’s stronger than [the two] of them, physically stronger than [the two] of them. But I feel like they all have different type of strengths. But I think he may be the strongest one out of all three of them.”

In his bout before beating Garcia, the 30-year-old Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), of DeSoto, Texas, defeated Porter by 12-round split decision 14 months ago at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The unbeaten IBF and WBC welterweight champ has not fought Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC), who topped Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 12-round encounter in June 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and edged Garcia by split decision at the same venue eight months later.

The taller, longer Spence used his jab effectively throughout his victory over Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs). He landed 70 more jabs than Garcia, according to CompuBox’s unofficial count.

Judge Tim Cheatham scored nine of the 12 rounds for Spence (117-111), who won eight rounds apiece on the cards of judges Barry Lindenman (116-112) and Steve Weisfeld (116-112).

“He had a pretty good jab,” Garcia said. “It was rangy. It was throwing my timing off a little bit. And I think that was the key in the fight, his jab. But that’s pretty much it. Everything else, I was adapting to it. I knew he was gonna go to the body. I knew he was gonna throw those looping left hands. But his jab was a little better than I expected.” 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.