Errol Spence Jr has announced his retirement following his comeback defeat against Tim Tszyu.
Spence travelled to Sydney, Australia, to take on Tszyu, ending three years of inactivity following his loss to Terence Crawford in their 2023 undisputed welterweight title contest.
Though the southpaw from Dallas, Texas, showed flashes of past form and invested well in Tszyu’s body early on, he looked vulnerable against the more physically imposing man.
As the rounds went on, Tszyu took control and, despite a gutsy effort from Spence in the eleventh, took a wide unanimous decision on the cards.
Post-fight, Spence congratulated the Aussie and his new coach, Jeff Fenech.
“It was a good fight. Congratulations to Tim, Jeff Fenech. Shout out to everybody who came out. It’s been a great event – everybody treated me well. No Limit [Boxing] treated myself and my family real good, too. I appreciate everybody.
“It was a good showing from Tim. I answered a lot of questions for myself. Now it’s time to go home with my family and start a new life.”
Asked if this was the end of the road as a fighter, Spence said yes.
“Yeah, for sure, man. I got my faculties intact. My money is good, it’s working for itself. Everything’s good, man. I got a beautiful family. I thank God that I’m leaving this sport with my faculties intact and my family still by my side. Everything’s gonna go well … This has been a great journey for myself – it’s time to live family life.”
The announcement was met with applause from the Sydney crowd, bringing an end to a career that spanned almost 14 years in the professional ranks and an impressive amateur campaign of 135 wins against just 12 defeats.
‘The Truth’ – who previously returned to the sport after a near-fatal car crash – retires with a professional record of 28-2 (22 KOs), having established himself as one of the finest welterweights of his era. A former unified world champion, victories over Kell Brook, Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugás for three of the four major titles at 147lbs ensured his place among the standout American fighters of his generation.
