Errol Spence Jr Drops Retirement Hint Ahead of Tim Tszyu Return Bout

36-year-old former champion admits retirement is on his mind ahead of his long-awaited return

Errol Spence Jr | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

After three years away from the ring, Errol Spence Jr.'s highly anticipated return fight against Tim Tszyu might be his last.

Spence, 36, has not fought since losing the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight belts in an undisputed title fight against Terence Crawford in July 2023. Spence retreated to the shadows in the years following his first professional loss before returning to the limelight by signing to fight Tszyu on July 25.

'The Truth' recently revealed that his return fight could also be his last trip to the ring.

Errol Spence Jr | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Errol Spence talks retirement

"For me, I'm not going to give it all to boxing," Spence said on the All the Smoke podcast. "It's really a fight-by-fight basis. I might be done after this. It just all depends. Training camp, I still got eight weeks left, and I'm like, 'Bro.' I've been thinking about vacation spots."

While Spence admitted that the end is near, he added that he is putting "100 percent" into what could be his final fight camp.

"I just want to sit and embrace the moment because I know this is over one day. It's over one day and it's not coming back. I don't want to be 10 years down the line like, 'Man, I should've enjoyed it more.' So this time I'm going to fully embrace it... I know I got a lot left, but like you said, I'm not trying to leave everything. You gotta know when to fold 'em."

Errol Spence Jr. returns from three-year layoff against Tim Tszyu

While Spence's loss to Crawford was the first of his professional career, it was easily one of the most brutally dominant performances in recent boxing history. The damage he absorbed was enough to force Spence to undergo eye surgery after the fight and spend three of his prime years on the sidelines.

After rumors of his return initially surfaced in mid-2025, Spence is officially re-entering the scene against another struggling former champion. Tszyu, who began his career 24-0, is just 3-3 in his last six fights, which includes a pair of violent knockout losses.

Since suffering a second loss to Sebastian Fundora in July 2025, Tszyu has strung together two wins over Anthony Velasquez and Denis Nurja.

Tim Tszyu speaks during a May 31, 2025 press conference. | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

Despite the layoff, Spence is opening as a slight favorite over Tszyu. The former Olympian is a slight -135 favorite, loosely translating to a 57 percent implied win probability.