Errol Spence Jr. officially retires from boxing

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Former unified three-belt welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. has officially announced his retirement from professional boxing following his shocking loss to Tim Tszyu on July 26, 2026.

Moments after the defeat, Spence Jr. took center stage during the post-fight interview to formalize his exit from the sweet science.

“I think, yeah, for sure,” Spence Jr. said when asked if it was the end of his career.

“I’ve got a beautiful family, and I thank God. I’m grateful to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family still by my side.”

Things didn’t go well during Spence Jr.’s boxing return, as Tszyu dominated from start to finish and scored a one-sided unanimous decision victory.

To counter Spence Jr.’s relentless pressure and aggression, Tszyu moved away from his usual style, using more ring movement and clever disengagements in the clinch.

Spence Jr. had one effective round in the 11th after emptying his gas tank for three straight minutes, but Tszyu closed out the show with a clinical 12th-round hitting exhibition to seal the unanimous decision win.

Before sharing the ring with Tszyu, Spence Jr. had been inactive for almost three years after losing to Terence Crawford.

Spence Jr. was not as sharp or dominant in the bout, as Tszyu pulled off a surprising boxing masterclass in front of his Australian fans.

A former Olympian who represented the U.S. at the 2012 London Olympics, Spence Jr. took the boxing world by storm after winning 28 consecutive professional fights, including 22 by knockout.

Just four years after transitioning from amateur to professional boxing, Spence Jr. captured his first major title by stopping Kell Brook via an 11th-round knockout to claim the International Boxing Federation welterweight championship.

Spence Jr. then became a three-belt welterweight champion after defeating Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugas, but he faced a major career setback when he lost to Crawford in arguably the most anticipated unification championship showdown in the 147-pound division.

After 30 professional fights, Spence Jr. will hang up his gloves with a record of 28-2, including 22 knockouts.