Andre Dirrell questions Spence’s return

Dirrell questioned whether Tszyu is the right opponent for a return after such a long absence.

“Listen, this is Tim Tszyu, man. We all know he’s a tough cookie,” Dirrell said during an interview with Battle hype. “That kind of fight deserves the right kind of return.”

Dirrell said Tszyu’s aggressive style could force Spence into the type of physical fight that becomes dangerous for a veteran returning after years away from the ring.

“Both fighters are going to get beat up a little bit,” Dirrell said. “My question is, how is Errol going to get out of this?”

The former super middleweight champion also pointed to the punishment Spence took against Crawford, along with the years of wear and tear already on his body from previous fights and his 2019 Ferrari crash, where Spence survived a violent rollover crash in Dallas.

“His brain remembers the kind of punishment he took,” Dirrell said while discussing Spence’s loss to Crawford. “When he gets in there, and he takes their shots, whether he thinks he’s ready for it or not, his training might not be.”

Tszyu enters the fight as the younger and more active fighter. Although he has losses to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, many fans still consider him one of the division’s hardest punchers and most physical pressure fighters.

Dirrell admitted he still hopes Spence can make a successful comeback, but questioned whether the former unified welterweight champion has any need to come back.

“He should have been comfortable hanging it up now,” Dirrell said. “He didn’t need a win to ride off into the sunset.”