What to Know
- Tim Tszyu delivered a solid unanimous decision win over former world champion Errol Spence Jr. Saturday in Sydney, Australia.
- After three years out of the ring, Spence Jr. gave his best effort, but he didn’t have the stamina or form to keep up with Tszyu in the second half of the fight. Spence Jr. announced his retirement after the loss.
- Tszyu will remain in the middleweight division and seek a world title fight.
A three-year absence from the ring wasn’t kind to former unified three-belt world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. Former super welterweight world champion Tim Tszyu shut a fading Spence Jr. down and pulled away on the cards to win a unanimous decision at the Afterpay Arena in Sydney, Australia. The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 117-111.
“160 is my new division, and I feel strong,” said Tszyu. “Big blessing to my fans, man. This was one hell of a show, and kudos to the boys of No Limit, kudos to my team, my sponsors, and everyone, man. Oh, I thought the Tony Harrison win was good, but ah, let’s go party!”
Full Spence vs Tszyu Highlights
Spence Jr. of DeSoto, Texas (28-2, 22 KOs) simply didn’t have the size, stamina, or legs past the first few rounds against the fitter and more active Tszyu of Sydney (28-3, 18 KOs). Spence Jr. gave a good effort and split rounds on the scorecard early with Tszyu, but he looked like the man he is in 2026, not in 2023 or before: an older, inactive former champion giving it one last go.
Spence Jr. gave Tszyu his flowers. “It was a good showing by Tim. I asked a lot of questions of myself. Now it’s time to go home with my family and, you know, start a new life.”
Tszyu said he had sleepless nights thinking about being in the ring with Spence Jr. “What am I going to feel like facing a legend like that, you know? But man, it was it was one hell of a show, and I understand why he’s one of the greats.”
Tszyu was visibly the bigger man with the better hand speed and power. Spence Jr. tagged Tszyu several times with good punches, but they were solo punches. He never delivered a sustained attack. He would work one round, then seemed to take the next round off through the first half.
Into the back half of the fight, Spence Jr. didn’t have the energy to work hard through an entire round. After the tenth round, trainer Ronnie Shields urged Spence Jr. to be more active. “Are you OK?” asked Shields, never a good sign from a trainer.
Errol Spence Jr. Gets His Answers, Announces His Retirement
After the decision was read, Spence Jr. offered his thanks to everyone in Australia involved in the fight and said it was his last fight.
“Yeah, for sure, man. I got my faculties intact. My money is good and working for and working for itself. So, you know everything’s good, man. I got a beautiful family, and I thank God that I’m gracious enough to leave this floor with my faculties intact, and my family still by my side, and you know everything’s gonna go well,” said Spence Jr.
Tim Tszyu Plans to Compete at Middleweight
Across the ring, Tim Tszyu’s trainer Jeff Fenech pushed Tszyu to stay busy, and he responded well. Before the final round, Fenech said, “We’ve been training for 15 rounds!” Tszyu wasn’t exactly William Zepeda in there, but he outlanded Spence Jr. Tszyu landed 190 punches of 576 thrown (33%) against 157 of 715 by Spence Jr. (225).
Tszyu has struggled in recent years to find a good fit with a trainer. Working with Australia’s former champion Jeff Fenech suited Fenech, and Tszyu said his advice in the corner steered him through the fight.
Tszyu also acknowledged navigating the psychological baggage that comes with endless comparisons to his father, beloved former champion and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu. “You know, if I can get half as good as them, then hey, I’ll be sleeping as a great man,” said Tszyu.
What’s next up for Tszyu? He will stay at middleweight, saying he’d like to fight for a world title again. He named current WBA World Middleweight champion Erislandy Lara of Cuba, who has held the title since 2023. It’s good timing for the Australian since the middleweight division is not competitive and in a bit of a slump.
“I wish I could stick it up to a lot of people and say I told you so, but yeah, I told you so!” laughed Tszyu.
Undercard Highlights from Sydney
Undefeated prospect Ahmed Reda (9-0, 6 KOs) made the most of his opportunity to shine after being elevated to the co-main event, defeated veteran Paul Fleming (28-2-2, 18 KOs). The 23-year-old lightweight took the fight to the 38-year-old Fleming, who did what he could but was outgunned in the end. Scores were 99-91, 97-93, and 96-94.
Another Australian Olympian made a good account of himself. Middleweight Callum Peters of Adelaide (8-0, 7 KOs) battered a game Ivan Actis of Argentina (13-1-1, 9 KOs) until the referee decided in the seventh round that Actis had taken enough damage, stopping the fight. All three cards had the fight a shutout at 60-53 at the time of the stoppage.
Paulo Aokuso ends this fight in spectacular fashion with 1-punch KO in RD10! OH MY! #AokusoTajeda
🥊 Order #SpenceTszyu now: https://t.co/dAHjP8kXP8 pic.twitter.com/0WYTAin7gi
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) July 26, 2026
Opening the card, light heavyweight Paulo Aokuso of Sydney (11-0, 6 KOs) and Luis Antonio Tejeda of the Dominican Republic (12-1-1, 9 KOs) were in a brisk battle when Aukuso took the decision out of the judges’ hands with a stunning lights-out knockout punch, dropping Tejada to the canvas out cold for the 10th-round knockout win.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
