Spence and Tszyu Meet Face-to-Face as July 25 Showdown Becomes Official

Errol Spence Jr. and Tim Tszyu at Saturday's press conference announcing their July 25 showdown.

(PBC)

LAS VEGAS — Errol Spence Jr. and Tim Tszyu stood across from each other Saturday for the first time, and the tension was immediate. What began as a routine press conference announcement quickly turned into a heated exchange that served as a preview of what awaits on July 25 in Australia.

Premier Boxing Champions made the fight official this week. Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) and Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs) will meet in a junior middleweight bout live on PBC PPV, streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The event airs Saturday night, July 25, in the United States and Sunday, July 26, in Australia, where Tszyu will fight on home soil. Venue details are still being finalized.

To close out Saturday's press conference, Tszyu had something to say about his opponent's conduct. The Australian said he approached Spence to shake his hand before the event, only to be walked past without acknowledgment.

"I came up to him before trying to shake his hand, and he just walked past me like a disrespectful f---," Tszyu said. "That shows the type of person he is."

Spence, who has a reputation for keeping things businesslike, did not back down. The former unified welterweight champion made clear he has no interest in the prefight formalities.

"I'm not one of those dudes," Spence said. "If you're talking sh-- on social media and then when you see me, you want to be all buddy-buddy — I'm not one of those guys."

The stakes for Spence could not be higher. The 36-year-old has not stepped into a ring since July 29, 2023, when Terence Crawford handed him his first professional loss via ninth-round TKO in a one-sided undisputed welterweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Crawford dropped Spence three times, including twice in Round 7, before the fight was waved off.

The comeback has been nearly three years in the making. Rumors of a fight with WBC welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora circulated throughout 2024 but never materialized. Now Spence is not only returning from a long layoff, he is doing so at a new weight class, making his professional debut at 154 pounds against a fighter who has been far more active.

Spence dismissed any concern about ring rust, saying he has no need for a tune-up fight. If he feels good in the gym, feels good in training camp, and feels good in sparring, the fight will take care of itself.