Errol Spence Jr. has officially chosen Tim Tszyu as his comeback opponent, with the fight targeted for summer 2026. The matchup represents Spence’s first appearance since his decisive loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023, marking an absence of nearly three years from the ring. For a fighter who once dominated the welterweight division, this return carries way more questions than answers.
🚨SPENCE JR- TSZYU TARGETED FOR THE SUMMER
Errol Spence Jr is scheduled to make his return to the ring after almost 3 years since his defeat to Terence Crawford by taking over former WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion Tim Tszyu.
(@ringmagazine) pic.twitter.com/tAKSqIyLtO
— On The Record Boxing (@OnTheRecordBox) February 9, 2026
At 36 years old by fight night, Spence faces the cruel reality that point and inactivity rarely favor pressure fighters. His final two welterweight performances against Crawford and Yordenis Ugas revealed troubling signs of decline—slower reactions, diminished recovery speed, and reduced effectiveness in close-quarters exchanges. Those fights effectively closed one chapter of his profession without providing clarity on whether the erosion was circumstantial or everlasting.
The Risk within the Matchup
The prolonged layoff compounds these concerns. Pressure fighters depend upon precise timing, balance, and leg strength to execute their craft. Spence built his repute on relentless forward movement and punishing body attacks, but that foundation requires complete physical commitment. Even minor compromises to his conditioning or reflexes could dismantle the complete system.
Tszyu presents a deceptive challenge for this kind of comeback. Once viewed as an inevitable force at junior middleweight, the Australian has stumbled twice in recent fights—losing his undefeated record to Sebastian Fundora in March 2024 before falling short against Bakhram Murtazaliev. While still dangerous together with his fight-changing right hand, Tszyu isn’t any longer the unstoppable pressure breaker this pairing might suggest on paper.
My dawg Tim Tszyu back on the winners bracket!
Just dropped a UD belt on some nigga named Anthony Velazquez!l pic.twitter.com/G0epckXc54
— Locked in each day (@OutwestLock) December 18, 2025
The fight is predicted to happen between 147 and 154 kilos following a tune-up bout for Tszyu in Australia. That weight ambiguity introduces additional variables for each men as they navigate unfamiliar territory.
No Room to Hide
This will not be a soft reintroduction or confidence-building exercise. It is 2 fighters attempting to prove something that recent history has already challenged. Tszyu must reassert his elite status. Spence must reveal he still possesses the physical tools that when made him a unified champion.
🚨Breaking News
Errol Spence is currently training in Philadelphia with Coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards for his Return potentially this summer #Boxing pic.twitter.com/ZLrEgPi8Gj
— Pound4Pound (@Pound4our4Pound) February 8, 2026
The stakes are brutally easy: if Spence looks sharp, the conversation about his championship viability reopens. If he doesn’t, there shall be nowhere left to deflect blame onto ring rust or circumstances. After three years away, this fight will answer whether Errol Spence Jr. stays relevant at the very best level of boxing.