Tim Tszyu revitalized the commercial side of his career with a win tonight in Sydney, Australia, against the returning Errol Spence Jr.
Spence, a former welterweight titleholder and regular in various pound-for-pound top 10s for several years, just didn’t have it anymore, following a three-year layoff and a two-division jump in weight. The 36-year-old Spence (28-2, 22 KO) was brave and tough but just slower than he used to be, couldn’t generate the same power he used to, and wasn’t able to find consistent
results.
As the bout wore on, he obviously had issues with his stamina, which just made it all worse. Tszyu (28-3, 18 KO) really didn’t bring a ton of pressure or anything, and was able to simply out-point Spence over 12 rounds.
Spence vs Tszyu official score cards
Judges scored the bout 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110 for Tszyu. There was no “home cooking” here; these were fair scores. Myself and Wil Esco unofficially scored the bout 117-111 and 117-111 for Tszyu, as well.
While it wasn’t immediately “scary” or a sustained, bad beating or anything — at least not by pro boxing standards — it was also not the sort of fight where you could imagine suggesting that Spence continue boxing.
“160 is my new division and I feel strong,” Tszyu said after the fight. “There were times I had sleepless nights thinking, ‘Man, am I (out of) my depth? What am I going to feel like facing a legend like that?’ But it was one hell of a show and I understand why he’s one of the greats.”
Tszyu said he’s hoping to fight for another world title, now as a middleweight, and said that “beating a great one like Errol Spence tops any world title for me.”
Errol Spence Jr announces retirement after loss
“It was a great fight. Congratulations to Tim and (trainer) Jeff Fenech,” Spence said. “It was a good showing by Tim. I answered a lot of questions about myself, and now it’s time to go home with my family and start a new life.”
Asked to clarify if that meant he was retiring, Spence replied, “Yeah, for sure. I’ve got my faculties intact. My money is good and working for itself, so everything’s good, man. I’ve got a beautiful family and I thank God that I’m able to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family by my side. Everything’s going to go well.”
