The long-awaited return of a former unified welterweight champion looks set to take place this summer.
After nearly three years out of the ring, Errol Spence Jr (28-1, 22 KOs) is reportedly coming back to take on Tim Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs) at super-welterweight. Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael revealed on X that the 36-year-old will take on the 31-year-old in Australia this summer.
If Rafael is correct, the non-title bout will take place on July 26, making it three days shy of exactly three years since we last saw Spence in the ring. On July 29, 2023, Spence and Terence Crawford put their unbeaten records and titles on the line to crown an undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
Despite the hype surrounding the fight, Crawford proved himself the man at 147lbs and separated himself from his nearest rival with a clinical and ruthless performance, stopping Spence in round nine.
With such time elapsed, it was becoming increasingly uncertain whether Spence would fight again. The 2012 Olympian focused instead on his family, but last year he returned to the sport, taking his place ringside to take in fights such as Vergil Ortiz Jr vs. Erickson Lubin. Spence was quizzed about a ring return by various outlets, but wouldn’t confirm or deny whether he would fight again.
Tszyu, meanwhile, is in the rebuilding stage of a career that had taken a nosedive following crushing defeats to Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024 and Sebastian Fundora in July 2025. Since his rematch loss to Fundora, two consecutive wins have been notched up against moderate opposition in Anthony Velasquez and Denis Nurja, respectively.
Now nicknamed ‘Phoenix’ to evoke his rise from the ashes, the former ‘Soul Taker’ is now putting his faith in Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech to train and manage this crucial stage of Tszyu’s career. The 61-year-old replaces cornerman Pedro Diaz, who guided Tszyu to those two wins with Mike Altamura and Darcy Ellis as his co-managers.
Tszyu vs Spence is shaping up to be a major event for Australian boxing. Yet, with both men some distance from their peak, it is a fight that invites intrigue as much as it does uncertainty.
More Fighters Weekly News
- Caroline Dubois targets IBF champ if Baumgardner fight flops
- UFC releases grizzled fighter who went 22 fights without being finished
- UFC boss says AI is no different to green screen as criticism builds
- Hasim Rahman KOs Lennox Lewis in South Africa – On this day, 25 years ago
Follow Fighters Weekly on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
