Errol Spence Jr's Official Return Set Against Former Champion

After months of rumors and announcement teasers, the second chapter of Errol Spence Jr.'s career has an official start date.

Three years after his last fight, a ninth-round TKO loss to Terence Crawford, Spence is finally set to make his long-awaited return. The 35-year-old will return in the summer to face former WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu, Mike Coppinger reported on 'Inside the Ring.'

🚨 Errol Spence Jr will return to the ring vs Tim Tszyu this summer, sources have told @MikeCoppinger.

Spence hasn’t fought since his July 2023 loss to Terence Crawford. Tszyu will first take a tune-up fight in Australia prior to their bout, Coppinger has revealed on Inside The… pic.twitter.com/h9zaaZswbz
— InsideRingShow (@InsideRingShow) February 9, 2026

The fight will mark Spence's 154-pound debut, which he has been teasing for years. He will be 36 by the time of his next fight.

Coppinger also reported that Tszyu, who is just 2-3 in his last five fights, could take a tune-up fight before facing Spence in the summer. Spence, however, will not be fighting before then.

Spence's loss to Crawford was the first of his career, dropping him to 28-1. He entered that fight as the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight champion and a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter, but got battered, beaten and knocked down all night until the finish came.

Since then, Spence has addressed multiple injuries and allowed himself to heal before teasing his return. He was briefly linked to a potential fight with Jermell Charlo in 2025, but nothing ultimately materialized.

Tim Tszyu facing crossroads in Errol Spence Jr. matchup

As intriguing as the fight is on Spence's end, it is equally as fascinating for Tszyu. The 31-year-old former champion is just 2-3 since 2024, putting his career at a potential crossroads in his fight with 'The Shark.'

Tszyu's last three losses have each come in title fights. He lost his undefeated record in a controversial defeat to Sebastian Fundora, but his ensuing defeats to Bakhram Murtazaliev and a rematch with Fundora were much more decisive.

Tszyu has since rebounded with a win over Anthony Velasquez, ending 2025 on a high note. He has not beaten a ranked, top-15 contender since his win over Brian Mendoza in October 2023.

Tszyu announced coaching changes following his second loss to Fundora, resulting in a more measured approach in his 10-round unanimous decision nod over Velasquez. After spending most of his career with Igor Golubev, Tszyu now appears to be training under Miami-based coach Pedro Diaz.

Despite his recent skid, Tszyu is still ranked as high as No. 2 in the 154-pound division. He is still a top-10 contender in the WBC, WBO and IBF, but he is unranked by the WBA and The Ring.

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