Although Errol Spence Jr. outlanded Danny Garcia 187 to 117 on total punches, none of the 103 power shots he landed could end the fight before the twelfth and final round. (photo by Ryan Hafey)

The 30-year-old Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) won by the scores of 117-11 and twice with scorecards of 116-112 by connecting with 70 more jabs in the fight, a key to the fight that even Garcia acknowledged immediately after suffering his third career loss.

“Danny is a tough, hard-nosed guy. Garcia has been in some real hard fights. I’m a real fan of boxing, so I didn’t need to watch any film on Danny Garcia. I’d already watched him throughout the years, so I’m already familiar with him,” Spence told the “PBC Podcast” hosted by Kenneth Bouhairie and Michael Rosenthal. “I know I stunned him a couple of times, but I know he wasn’t in super trouble. I felt a little bit.”

The WBC and IBF champion said he never thought he was close to knocking out Garcia despite getting the better of him for most of the night in front of his home fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas.

The Dallas-based Spence said he felt sharp in the fight dispute his long layoff due to suffering injuries from a near-fatal car crash last year. He admitted, however, that he could have been sharper.

“I felt good in there,” said Spence. “Definitely, anytime you take that long out of the ring, something will have to give. I’m happy to have gotten through it, and happy I had the confidence in myself and my abilities to even fight a guy like Danny Garcia coming off a long layoff.”

Spence also shared that the caliber of competition and class Gacia presented forced him to be more cautious and careful in his return to the ring.

“I had to be ready for every punch he throws because he can counter. You got to be on pins and needles all the time with Danny Garcia,” said Spence. “I thought Danny was strong, a real technical fighter and a good counter-puncher.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com