Errol Spence Jr. begins next step Saturday on journey as boxing's great hope

NEW YORK - Errol Spence Jr. looks the part.

More importantly, he possesses the skills.

The Long Island native - based out of Desoto, Texas - is widely considered boxing's best young talent. The 26-year-old is incredibly fast, owns a jab wise beyond his years and is patient. Outside the ring, he's friendly, approachable and surprisingly humble in a sport oozing with machismo.

Many prospects look great against the type of opposition Spence has faced, though. Saturday's foe is a completely different story.

Chris Algieri is a former champion who has been in the ring with the likes of Ruslan Provodnikov, Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao.

He's rated No. 9 in BoxingJunkie's welterweight rankings, and if Spence is the preternatural talent many believe him to be, he must get past Algieri (21-2, 8 KOs) at Brooklyn's Barclays Center and look good doing it.

The setting will also represent the next level in Spence's progression: His first main event on a major show (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC). No pressure, right?

"Not really, because I'm a guy that doesn't really just feed into everything that's going on on the outside," Spence told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. "I'm a guy that pretty much stays grounded, stay in my circle and just work.

"So I don't care about the pressure. I always have bright lights on me, even through my amateur career. So I'm not worried about that at all."

If all goes according to plan, fans will find that Spence is special, a smart fighter with power in both hands. He was a decorated amateur and represented the U.S. in the 2012 Olympics, but failed to medal.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has taken a strong liking to Spence, and after his fight in June, the future Hall of Famer held court with reporters along with his protege.

Mayweather touted the skills of the prospect and even encouraged him to be more braggadocious, to which Spence quietly remarked, "Man down."

If there's any concern with Saturday's fight, it's how soon in Spence's progression the Algieri challenge comes. While Spence breezed through his first 19 fights, winning 16 by knockout, none of those men could be considered even in the top 20 at 147 pounds.

On the way up, fighters will usually gradually step up their competition. But Spence said he's not worried about the leap. Oddsmakers agree. He's as much as a 20-to-1 favorite to upend Algieri, a man who gave Khan all he could handle last summer.

"I think he's going to test me because he's a gritty fighter," said Spence, who has never been past eight rounds. "He put on a good show with Amir Khan; he showed that he's tough against Manny Pacquiao. I think he's going to test me because he has a lot of heart."

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Boxing is filled with men who came from nothing and needed the sport to find a way out. They often come from broken homes with little guidance. Spence isn't one of them.

He says his humble demeanor was embedded from his mom and dad, and he's very close with his parents to this day. Errol Spence Sr., a truck driver who was born in Jamaica, is like a best friend; he accompanies his son to the gym every day.

"He's like my shadow, he's like in the picture with me, he's standing right behind me," joked Spence, who grew up the middle child with two sisters. "My mom is very supporting, she's always supported me.

"I'm pretty grounded and I've seen my mom and dad work hard. Hard-working people going to work every day. When you see that every day, it's automatically just embedded in you that I have to work hard for what I want."

The family moved to Texas when Spence was 2 years old, but he considers this fight a homecoming of sorts. He still goes back to Long Island all the time to visit and expects good support on fight night.

He also is proud of his Jamaican roots. He visits from time to time - his grandmother owns a house there - and is set to travel to the island for a family reunion at the end of June.

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Spence has tunnel vision: He wants a world title shot. And that day is close, as long as he gets by Algieri.

He's the No. 1 contender to the IBF title held by British star Kell Brook, a fight that could happen this year. Spence says he was ready "two fights ago" but isn't looking past Saturday night.

That's when millions of people will watch who could be boxing's next star in the wake of the recent retirements of Mayweather and Pacquiao. Many of those millions have no idea who Spence is, but he plans to make sure they never forget.

"I want to make a statement," he said. "That's on me. I have to make a statement if I want to be who I say I am and who other people think I am. I have to make a statement.

"This is prime time, NBC. I don't think it gets any bigger than that but pay-per-view. So I'm definitely excited to put on a great show and just let everybody know who I am because a lot of people still don't know who Errol Spence Jr. is."

(Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment/Premier Boxing Champions)