| |
|
|
Errol Spence Jr. Returns Against
Tim Tszyu Headlining July 25
Former unified three-belt world champion Errol “The Truth”
Spence Jr. will make his much-anticipated return to the ring
in a high-stakes super welterweight showdown against
Australian superstar and former 154-pound world champion Tim
Tszyu on Saturday, July 25 headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View
event available on Prime Video in U.S. primetime from
Australia.
A staple atop pound-for-pound lists throughout his legendary
run through the welterweight division, Spence will return to
action for the first time in nearly three years when he
takes on the former WBO 154-pound champion Tszyu, who’s
never lost on his home soil and who hopes to put himself
back in world title contention with a career-best victory.
The event is promoted by No Limit Boxing and The Rose
Brothers, Man Down Promotions and TGB Promotions. Undercard
bouts will be announced soon.
“Boxing is better when Errol Spence Jr. is in the ring and
on July 25 he has the opportunity to prove that he’s still
one of the best fighters in the sport by going on the road
to take down the hometown favorite and always dangerous Tim
Tszyu,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “These
fighters are each known for their all-action styles and will
step in there highly motivated to return to their
championship status. It’s a can’t-miss PBC Pay-Per-View on
Prime Video with the winner in prime position to ascend to
the top of the star-studded 154-pound division.”
“Make no mistake, this is absolutely huge,” said No Limit
Boxing CEO George Rose. “A truly global event that delivers
exactly what boxing fans deserve right now. You’ve got Errol
Spence Jr., one of the biggest names of this era, stepping
into Tim Tszyu’s backyard, where he remains undefeated. This
fight has been building for a long time, with plenty said
along the way, and neither fighter has ever taken a backward
step. We’ve seen fighters come to Australia talking a big
game before and every single one of them has come unstuck.
It is a different kind of pressure in Australia when the
whole country gets behind you like they do with Tim.
“It’s elite versus elite, a genuine crossroads fight where
the winner does not just win, they once again become the
main man in a stacked division. This is a fight that defines
legacies and I can’t wait to host it in Australia.”
**ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. TIM TSZYU**
One of the best style matchups that can be made at
154-pounds, July 25 will see the former WBC, WBA and IBF
Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr.
step into the ring for the first time since dropping a 2023
mega-fight against Terence Crawford, as he takes on the
Australian superstar Tim Tszyu, who can earn another world
title opportunity with a third-consecutive victory in this
pivotal showdown.
Born in Long Island, N.Y., the 36-year-old Spence (28-1, 22
KOs) was and raised in Desoto, Texas where he embarked on an
accolade-laden amateur career that culminated with him as a
member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that competed in
London, England. He went back to England and won his first
welterweight championship when he traveled to Sheffield to
meet local favorite and IBF Champion Kell Brook in 2017,
stopping Brook in round 11. While a detached retina scuttled
plans to meet Manny Pacquiao in a 2021 showdown, Spence
wasn’t going to be denied as he defeated Yordenis Ugas, who
bested Pacquiao as a replacement for Spence, to win the WBA
title with a resounding TKO on April 16, 2022. No stranger
to defying adversity, Spence has displayed mental toughness
inside and outside of the ring, surviving a horrific car
crash in 2019 and the detached retina in 2021. Flouting both
the odds and other’s expectations, Spence came back to not
only defend his title but added even more titles to his
trophy case.
“I’m grateful to be back,” said Spence. “I took time away to
live in the moment, travel and to give my family my full
attention. I got to enjoy the rewards of my hard work with
the people who matter most. Now I’m locked back in.
“Three years away from the sport changed my perspective
completely. I’ve grown mentally and physically sharper, and
I’m more disciplined and locked in with a deeper level of
appreciation.
I chose to come back in his hometown for a reason. No
tune-ups. No easy road I’m stepping straight into his
backyard into the fire because that’s where I do my best
work. On July 25th, I’m not aiming to make a return. I’m
making a statement.”
The 31-year-old Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs) will enter this fight
off back-to-back victories, having scored a unanimous
decision over Denis Nurja in April on Prime Video. He had
previously dominated Anthony Velazquez last December, five
months after dropping the second of two memorable contests
against current WBC Super Welterweight World Champion
Sebastian Fundora. Tszyu came into the first Fundora fight
off a red-hot 2023 campaign that saw him elevated to world
champion at 154-pounds while defeating former world champion
Tony Harrison, top contender Brian Mendoza and former title
challenger Carlos Ocampo. A native of Sydney, Australia,
Tszyu made his U.S debut against U.S. Olympian Terrell
Gausha in March 2022, earning a unanimous decision. Tszyu
grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing.
The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps
of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound
champion.
“They call him ‘The Truth’, the ‘Big Fish.’ I’ve always said
I’m hunting the biggest fights and biggest names and now
I’ve got one right in front of me,” said Tszyu. “I’ve kept
the receipts from everything he’s said about me - the
tweets, the doubt, all of it. This motivates me even more to
knock him out. I respect what Errol Spence Jr. has done in
this sport, but that was then.
“While he’s been staying away, I’ve been in the fire. I’ve
taken my hits, I’ve learned the hard way, and I know I’ve
come back better. I’m ready to retire him. I’m undefeated at
home and he’s stepping into my backyard. While he’s trying
to prove he’s still there, I’m about to prove that ‘The
Truth’ was a lie all along.”
|
|
|
