Errol Spence Jr. called time on a Hall of Fame career after Tim Tszyu picked up his biggest win yet.
Australia’s Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs) defeated Spence by unanimous decision (117-111, 117-111, 118-110) in Spence’s return Saturday night at the Afterpay Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia. The fight was contested at the 160-pound middleweight limit — a two-division jump for the former unified welterweight champion Spence (28-2, 22 KOs), who had not laced up his gloves since his 2023 stoppage loss to Terence Crawford.
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After losing to Tszyu — the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu — Spence, 36, announced it would be the last time the boxing world saw him step through the ropes.
“For sure, man [this is the end of the road for me],” Spence said following his loss. “I’ve got my faculties intact. My money is good, it’s working for itself. So, everything is good. I’ve got a beautiful family. I thank God that I’m gracious enough to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family still by my side.”
On Saturday night, Spence and Tszyu produced fireworks in the opening round, with both men landing power punches. A trio of clean rights snapped back the head of Spence and looked to have hurt the Texan, which allowed Tszyu to assert early control in the contest.
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Tszyu, however, failed to capitalize on the strong start. Spence outworked him in the second and third rounds, landing frequently to the body, with Spence’s combination punching allowing him to separate himself from Tszyu’s lack of volume.
Still, it was apparent that Spence’s balance was off from the start from the way that he was moving and taking the shots. Spence also looked uncomfortable facing Tszyu’s pressure and size; it’s rare for the American to have somebody push him back.
The pair traded rounds through an entertaining opening six frames, before Tszyu began to take control in the second half of the fight. He put together back-to-back rounds after finding consistent success with his right hand in the seventh. Spence was unable to time Tszyu’s straight backhand and right hook, and became a sitting duck for those punches throughout the contest. They caught Spence often, and they caught him flush.
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After losing a string of rounds, Spence had his best moment since the early going in Round 10 after connecting with a strong left hand. Spence, however, was unable to hurt Tszyu, unlike Tszyu’s punches, which were visibly affecting the future Hall of Famer.
Before the start of Round 11, Spence was told in his corner by new trainer Ronnie Shields that he wasn’t active enough. Spence then delivered on Shields’ instructions and produced his best round in the second half of the bout in the penultimate session.
Entering Round 12, Spence knew he had to finish strong, but it was Tszyu who fought on the front foot and still had something left in the tank. The Aussie dominated the final frame against a fatigued Spence, who had left it all in the ring in Round 11.
At the end of 36 minutes, there was no doubt that Tszyu had done enough, although the margins of 117-111, 117-111 and 118-110 were wider than most observers expected.
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Tszyu, a former WBO super welterweight champion, confirmed post-fight that he would continue his career at middleweight after capturing his biggest win to date.
Stephen Fulton and Liam Wilson were supposed to clash in the co-feature, but the fight was called off after Fulton badly missed the 133-pound catchweight limit by 6.5 pounds.
Check out complete Spence vs. Tszyu results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
Main card
Middleweight: Errol Spence Jr. def. Tim Tszyu via unanimous decision (118-110, 117-111, 117-111)
Lightweight: Ahmad Reda def. Paul Fleming via unanimous decision (99-91, 97-93, 96-94)
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Middleweight: Callum Peters def. Ivan Actis via seventh-round TKO
Light heavyweight: Paulo Aokuso def. Luis Antonio Tejeda via 10th-round KO
Prelims
Bantamweight: Tina Rahimi def. Sacha Ryan Dryden via unanimous decision (40-36 ×2, 39-37)
Heavyweight: Brandon Grach def. Ike Pluto via unanimous decision (49-45 ×2, 48-46)
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Darshan Desai
“Yeah, for sure, man [this is the end of the road for me],” Errol Spence Jr. said. “I got my faculties intact. My money is good; it’s working for itself. So, everything is good. I’ve got a beautiful family. I thank God that I’m gracious enough to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family still by my side.”
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 25: Errol Spence Jr flexes after weighing in ahead of the bout between Errol Spence Jr and Tim Tszyu at ICC Sydney on July 25, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
(Brendon Thorne via Getty Images)
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Tim Tszyu defeats Errol Spence Jr. by unanimous decision (118-110, 117-111, 117-111) in their middleweight pay-per-view headliner in Sydney, Australia.
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Darshan Desai
Final three months coming up. Tszyu is certainly ahead, and his corner pretty much told him that if he survives this round, he wins the fight. Tszyu starts aggressively, on the front foot. He drives some rights into Spence’s chest. Into the second half. Tszyu is dominating a round that Spence very much needed to win. STRONG right drives Spence onto the ropes. Spence has done nothing in this round and has surely lost this fight now.
10-9 Tszyu, 115-113 Tszyu.
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Darshan Desai
Into the championship rounds we go. Lovely counter right from Tszyu that he walked Spence into. Body shots traded by both. Spence starting to let his hands go and swings with an overhand left. Left-hand over the top for Spence. Body shot for the Texan. Tszyu isn’t doing as much in this round. But then he does connect with a combination. Spence fires the left-hand.
10-9 Spence, 105-104 Tszyu
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Darshan Desai
Into the final nine minutes, and Spence will need a BIG finish to win this fight.
Tszyu appears to be in control. He is the one throwing and landing to the body and catching Spence with straight rights and right hooks. Spence just tries to stay away from danger. A terrific left-hand connected for Spence to begin the second minute, but it didn’t have the same force as some of the Aussie’s shots. Body shots from both. Another left connects for the American. Two jabs connect for Tszyu. Spence is unable to react to Tszyu’s offense.
10-9 Spence, 96-94 Tszyu
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Darshan Desai
DAZN’s Shawn Porter has it 5-3 Tszyu, the same as Uncrowned.
Check hook for Tszyu. Spence is doing a lot of holding now. Tszyu is chasing him around the ring. Not many punches are being thrown by either. Spence is moving. Uppercut and a body shot for Spence. Lovely counter right from Tszyu. Tszyu continues to find a home for his right, whether it’s to the head or body. And again, he lands clean. Big finish for Tszyu. It’s the same punch over and over again.
10-9 Tszyu, 87-84 Tszyu
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Darshan Desai
Tszyu has had two good rounds in a row. Can Spence break his rhythm? He tries with an overhand left. And another strong left. Spence is letting big punches go early in Round 8. Nice uppercut for Tszyu. Left-hand connects for Spence. Tszyu returns fire with the right. Spence tries to come back. Spence hits the guard with a combination. Tszyu walks into a left from Spence. He returns with a terrific left-hand to the body, though.
10-9 Tszyu, 77-75
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Darshan Desai
Into the second half. How will the gas tank of the guy who hasn’t fought for three years hold up? Will his bodywork even things out a little?
Tszyu, on the front foot early in the seventh, connects with a power shot. Spence is rolling and slipping under shots, but an uppercut connects for Tszyu. BRILLIANT right hook lands for the Australian. Spence could lose back-to-back rounds for the first time in this fight. Is Tszyu going to take over now? He cannot miss with the right hand – the straight shot, the hook, the uppercut, the body punch.
10-9 Tszyu, 67-66
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Darshan Desai
Right hand to the body and then the head from Tszyu up close. Spence goes to the body with a right hook. Tszyu knocks back his head and then goes to the body. Combination from Tszyu. Spence returns fire to the body.
The investment downstairs is going to pay dividends for Spence in the second half of this fight.
Nice right hand lands for Tszyu at the two-minute mark. And he knocks back the head again with the straight right. This is a dominant round for the Aussie. Spence looks uncomfortable to end Round 6.
10-9 Tszyu, 57-57
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Darshan Desai
Errol Spence’s timing is off. He can’t slip anything. The punches are also noticeably affecting him.
Body shot from Spence and a left hand upstairs. Spence throws a combination on the inside and then lands to the body. Spence is struggling to fight on the back foot – this isn’t what he does. He seems uneasy having somebody come at him. Spence finds a home for his left. Tszyu is swinging and missing with overhands. He has landed very little in this round. Spence’s volume is not pretty, but it’s winning him this round. Body shots from Spence again. Tszyu connected with the right that time.
10-9 Spence, 48-47
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Darshan Desai
Right-hand downstairs from Tszyu, and now he’s throwing more upstairs. Tszyu needed to increase his activity level, and now he is doing that. They trade big power shots on the inside. Spence goes to the body. Another right hand almost found the target for the Australian. Tszyu connects with two rights. And a third. Spence is too easy to hit with that punch. A body shot follows. Left-hand down the middle for Spence. Tszyu is the bigger, stronger man, and it is showing in this round. The crowd cheers as another right broke the guard.
10-9 Tszyu, 38-38
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Darshan Desai
1-1 heading into the third seems to be the consensus.
Tszyu tries to lead with an uppercut and falls short. Tszyu connects with a right and is off balance afterward. Nice left over the top on the inside. Spence looks so uncomfortable on the inside, looking to be physical with the bigger man, Tszyu. A left hand partially connects for Spence. Final minute coming up. Spence gets through with a combination. Tszyu’s lack of volume is his shortcoming early in this fight. But as I say that, he lands a nice left hook and a right. Tszyu is looking to score with his lead right. Swing round.
10-9 Spence, 29-28
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Darshan Desai
Spence is normally the guy on the front foot, but it is Tszyu coming forward here. The volume is certainly more from Spence, but Tszyu is trying to counter him, walk him onto shots, and land the right punches. Spence is struggling with the mental pressure of Tszyu, who is right in front of him. He is having to punch just to keep Tszyu away. Cuffing right from Tszyu. Left to the body for the American. Two more body punches. And another body shot and then a CLEAN left-hand upstairs for Spence. That was his best punch of the fight. Tszyu has done very little in this round.
10-9 Spence, 19-19
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Darshan Desai
Here we go! Errol Spence Jr. fights for the first time in almost 3 years.
It’s southpaw-orthodox; Spence is the left-hander, attempting to establish his jab early. Tszyu is pressuring Spence, backing him up. Spence’s back leg is shaking, and he is off balance when he tries to move it. Left to the body from Spence. Tszyu tries to catch Spence coming in. Nice left from Spence. A combination on the inside. Tszyu lands a right-hand. And another, which snaps back the face. A third right, and Spence may have been HURT there. Lovely left-hand from Spence in response. We are getting fireworks here. Both took big shots early.
10-9 Tszyu
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
We are ready for the main event!
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Darshan Desai
He is accompanied by indigenous Australians and walks out to Archie Roach.
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Darshan Desai
He walks to “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. The “you only get one shot” lyric will surely be ringing in his head — he has to win tonight. Can Tszyu really afford a fourth defeat in seven fights?
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