Crawford Watches From Ringside as Spence Falls to Tszyu, Then Retires

Errol Spence Jr came back after three years away and left the sport for good in the same night. The 36-year-old dropped a wide unanimous decision to Tim Tszyu in Sydney on Saturday, fighting at middleweight for the first time in his career, and then announced his retirement in the ring. It was his first bout since the 2023 loss to Terence Crawford, and it confirmed what a lot of people feared: the layoff had taken more than ring rust.

Crawford, now 42-0 with 31 knockouts and fresh off his own historic win over Canelo Álvarez, was at ringside for it. He'd actually picked Spence to win. Instead he watched his old rival get outworked, and by fight's end the five-weight champion had reached a blunt conclusion about the man he beat two years ago: the reflexes are gone.

How the Fight Went

Spence had flashes. He dug to the body well and capitalized during stretches when Tszyu let the pace drop. But under sustained pressure he looked exposed, and he faded down the stretch save for a spirited eleventh round. Tszyu was the stronger, sharper man — more snap on his shots, and better able to absorb the return fire. This is the same Spence who beat Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Danny Garcia at welterweight. That version didn't show up at 160.

Crawford's Verdict

Crawford laid out his read in a run of posts on X. He didn't like Spence's body language early, noted that Tszyu carried more power and took the incoming shots better than Spence did, and landed on the reflexes being finished. Coming from the man who last shared a ring with Spence, that assessment carries weight. Crawford predicted a win and still walked away convinced his former opponent was right to walk away.

Spence framed the exit on his own terms. He said his money is working for him, his family's intact, and he's grateful to be leaving with his faculties in one piece — that it had been a great journey and it was time to live a family life. There's no bitterness there, and given how many fighters ignore exactly this exit ramp, the clarity is worth respecting.

So the welterweight era that produced Spence and Crawford is now fully closed on both ends. Crawford is off chasing legacy fights in the heavier divisions; Spence is done at 36 after his first defeat outside of Crawford. Two of the generation's best welterweights, retired within a couple of years of each other, with the last real memory of their rivalry being one watching the other bow out.