It had been talked about for weeks, but now it’s official! Errol Spence Jr will return to the ring three years after his tough defeat to Terence Crawford, and he will do so against Tim Tszyu. The American, former welterweight champion (28-1), will travel to Australia on July 26 to face the hometown favorite and former super welterweight champion, who holds a record of 27 wins and 3 losses.
The most important difference between the two is that Spence has been inactive for three years (a long time at this level) following the harsh lesson delivered by “Bud,” who stopped him after scoring three knockdowns.
Tim, on the other hand, has fought seven significant and demanding bouts in that same period, including two losses against the current king of the division, Sebastian Fundora.
The news of the fight was first reported by boxing journalist Dan Rafael and later confirmed by a source close to the negotiations.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Tszyu announced a change of trainer—his second in a year—stating that he will now work with fellow Australian Jeff Fenech, preferred over Cuban coach Pedro Diaz.
Spence had already hinted at a comeback, but now the official confirmation has arrived.
A comeback fight for him that, on paper, looks very challenging. Tim, a son of a boxing legend, has already fired a warning shot on Twitter: “let’s go fishing.”
The Australian has never backed down in his career and will embrace this major opportunity with what is expected to be a significant purse. It remains to be seen where the fight will take place and what the undercard will look like.