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 far more questions than answers.

At 36 years old by fight night, Spence faces the harsh reality that time 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 career without providing clarity on whether the erosion was circumstantial or permanent.

The Risk in the Matchup

The extended layoff compounds these concerns. Pressure fighters depend on precise timing, balance, and leg strength to execute their craft. Spence built his reputation 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 entire system.

Tszyu presents a deceptive challenge for this type 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 with his fight-changing right hand, Tszyu is no longer the unstoppable pressure breaker this pairing might suggest on paper.

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The fight is expected to take place between 147 and 154 pounds following a tune-up bout for Tszyu in Australia. That weight ambiguity introduces additional variables for both men as they navigate unfamiliar territory.

No Room to Hide

This is not a soft reintroduction or confidence-building exercise. It is two fighters attempting to prove something that recent history has already challenged. Tszyu needs to reassert his elite status. Spence needs to demonstrate he still possesses the physical tools that once made him a unified champion.

The stakes are brutally simple: if Spence looks sharp, the conversation about his championship viability reopens. If he does not, there will be nowhere left to deflect blame onto ring rust or circumstances. After three years away, this fight will answer whether Errol Spence Jr. remains relevant at the highest level of boxing.