Tim Tszyu defeats Errol Spence Jr by unanimous decision in Sydney as Spence indicates retirement
Tim Tszyu defeated Errol Spence Jr by unanimous decision in Sydney on Sunday, and Spence said he will retire following the loss. The result marked the end of a high-profile encounter between two fighters whose best years are widely considered behind them.
The fight carried the familiar drama that follows contests between boxers past their physical primes: diminished explosiveness prompting a greater reliance on experience and toughness. Fans often arrive expecting final glimpses of former brilliance, while commentators reach for descriptors like "weathered veterans". Errol Spence, long regarded as one of the top fighters of his generation, had opened his professional career with 28 straight wins before facing a defining defeat to Terence Crawford on 30 July 2023. Crawford’s performance that night was decisive, and he subsequently won a title at junior middleweight and produced a shock victory over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez at super middleweight.
Spence stepped away from the ring for a three-year absence before returning at age 36 to meet Tszyu in Sydney. The bout began competitively, with both men showing signs of retained craft and ring IQ, but momentum shifted as the contest progressed. By the final bell the judges rendered a unanimous decision in favor of Tszyu, who emerged with the clear verdict.
Observers noted that the loss to Tszyu, while decisive on the cards, did not resemble the harsh dismantling Spence endured at Crawford’s hands in 2023. That earlier defeat was frequently described as surgical and brutal, and it remains a touchstone when assessing Spence’s later career choices. Despite the severity of the Crawford loss, Spence had previously returned to competition, a fact that injects uncertainty into any claim of permanent retirement.
Tszyu’s victory adds a significant notch to his résumé and reaffirms his standing in the division, while also underscoring the physical costs that high-level boxing exacts on long careers. The Sydney contest offered supporters a mix of tactical exchanges and the slower tempo that often accompanies meetings between seasoned fighters whose attributes have shifted with time. For Spence, the fight produced an outcome that he described as enough to prompt stepping away from active competition.
Promoters and media narratives had built the match partly around comparisons to a once-anticipated, purportedly 50-50 welterweight showdown with Crawford, a matchup that never materialised on equal terms. Instead, the route taken by Crawford—moving to junior middleweight, claiming a title there and then defeating Saul "Canelo" Alvarez at super middleweight—remains a contrasting arc to Spence’s recent path.
The unanimous decision loss to Tszyu closes a significant chapter in both fighters’ careers, leaving Tszyu with a notable victory and Spence facing questions about finality. Whether Spence’s announcement of retirement endures will be watched closely, given his previous return to the ring after the Crawford defeat.
