Errol Spence Jr. chose Tim Tszyu for his long-awaited return, and the choice says more about uncertainty than ambition. The fight, which is set for summer 2026, will be Spence’s first fight since his loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023 and comes after almost three years in the ring. The return is real. The confidence behind it is harder to detect.
Spence will be 36 by the time he returns. His last two appearances, against Crawford and Yordenis Ugas, have taken away the margin he once relied on. He was slower to initiate, slower to recover position, and less able to hold ground when exchanges turned physical. Those fights closed the book on his welterweight run without answering whether the erosion was temporary or permanent.
The return is set
The long absence only intensifies that question. Extended layoffs are unforgiving, especially for push fighters whose success depends on timing, balance and confidence in their legs. Spence’s best work always came from steady forward movement and sustained body attacks. If that base is compromised, even slightly, the style stops working the way it used to.
Tszyu is not the stabilizing opponent this pairing might suggest. Since losing his unbeaten record to Sebastian Fundora in March 2024 and later coming up short against Bakhram Murtazaliev, his career has tilted away from inevitability. He remains dangerous, but the idea of ​​Tszyu as a guaranteed pressure breaker no longer holds. An Australian overhaul is planned, and the fight itself is expected to land somewhere between 147 and 154, which carries its own risks for both men.
This is where the pairing becomes revealing. This is not a safe reboot or a soft restart. These are two fighters trying to confirm something that has already defied time. Tszyu’s right hand continues to change fights quickly. Spence’s body work only matters if he can stay close long enough to apply it.
This return does not restore Spence’s standing. It tests if it still exists. If he seems strong, reopen the conversation. If he does not, there will be no space left to hide behind timing or inactivity. The battle takes place. What Spence is left with remains the unanswered part.
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Last updated on 02/09/2026
