The former world champion of the welterweight category Errol Spence Jr. officially announced his retirement from professional boxing after being defeated by Australian Tim Tszyu on the scorecards.

The confrontation, held at the Afterpay Arena facilities in the city of Sydney, Australia, concluded with official scores from the judges of 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111 in favor of the local corner after twelve episodes played within the middleweight division.

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The adverse result confirmed the conclusion of the career of the North American fighter at 36 years of age, who returned to the ring after a prolonged period of competitive inactivity. The outcome in oceanic territory led the boxer to reflect on his current physical state and the need to prioritize his personal well-being over the demands of high sporting performance.

The retirement announcement on the ring in Sydney

At the end of the official protocol of the fight in the center of the ring, the American fighter addressed his professional future directly in front of the media. In the interview given about the official transmission at the conclusion of the lawsuit, Errol Spence Jr confirmed his position of not putting on his gloves again on the rented plane after evaluating the conditions of his presentation.

"Yes, for sure, this is the end of the road for me. I have my faculties intact. My money is fine, it is working for itself. Everything is fine. I have a beautiful family," declared Errol Spence Jr into the microphone of the television network during the international broadcast, making it clear that his goals outside the ring are covered.

In the same dialogue with the official signal, the fighter delved into the importance of concluding his career while preserving his physical integrity after more than a decade of activity on the most demanding cards. “I thank God that I am grateful enough to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family still by my side,” added the North American athlete to justify the decision made in the Australian capital.

The prolonged break and the promotion to middleweight

Errol Spence Jr's return to professional competition occurred after adding more than a thousand days of official inactivity in the discipline's record, placing his previous presentation in the month of July 2023 when he gave up his belts to Terence Crawford. For this return, the American's corner decided to take on the direct challenge at the 160-pound limit without going through prior conditioning bouts.

During the initial episodes of the fight at the Afterpay Arena, the Texan boxer managed to connect accurate impacts to the soft areas through the use of his left hand. However, the offensive volume and pace imposed by Tim Tszyu tipped the balance of the fight starting in the fifth round, wearing down the former world champion's resistance until the conclusion of the twelve regulation rounds.

The legacy of a unified champion at 147 pounds

Errol Spence Jr's professional career concludes with a record of 28 victories, two defeats and 22 definitions by knockout. His period of greatest dominance in paid boxing was concentrated in the welterweight division, a category where he managed to unify the belts of the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council and the International Boxing Federation.

The Texas fighter's career was also characterized by his ability to overcome after surviving a serious car accident in the 2019 season, an event that put his sporting continuity at risk, but from which he managed to return to unify international crowns. After his fall in Sydney, the American begins a new stage away from the ring, backed by his historic achievements in the 147-pound division.