Errol Spence Jr. is preparing for his comeback fight against Tim Tszyu on Saturday following a three-year absence from professional boxing. The match will take place at Afterpay Arena in Sydney as a middleweight bout at 160 pounds, with Spence holding a record of 28-1 and 22 KOs facing the 27-3, 18 KO record of the 31-year-old Australian fighter.
Spence’s last professional appearance came in 2023 when he suffered a one-sided loss to Terence Crawford in a four-belt welterweight unification bout that ended via ninth-round TKO. The 36-year-old fighter has been candid about circumstances surrounding that defeat, revealing he entered the Crawford fight with fractured ribs and attributing part of his struggles to issues with his previous training camp under Derrick James. Spence stated this week on “The Punch Podcast” that his upcoming bout with Tszyu could potentially be his final fight, though he indicated he is undecided on the matter and plans to evaluate his future after the contest concludes.
Spence’s new trainer Ronnie Shields has outlined modest expectations for the comeback, indicating the goal is not to pursue world titles but rather for Spence to exit boxing on terms of his own choosing. Shields noted that Spence is willing to fight no more than three times total and has committed to retirement if he loses at any point. The fighter emphasized that his motivation stems from personal fulfillment rather than financial necessity.
The bout will be contested at a middleweight catchweight of 160 pounds following negotiations that moved the weight from the initially planned 154 pounds. Spence selected Sydney as the location partly to minimize media obligations, which he has acknowledged disliking intensely. Tszyu enters as a former 154-pound titleholder but has experienced three physically taxing losses in recent years. At the time of the fight announcement, Spence was listed as a small betting favorite, though questions remain about how the three-year layoff and Crawford defeat may have affected him at his current age.
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