Errol Spence Jr. vs Tim Tszyu Set for July 26 in Australia

The long-proposed junior middleweight clash between Errol Spence Jr. and Tim Tszyu is reportedly set for July 26 in Australia, which would fall on July 25 in the United States for a Saturday night broadcast, according to Dan Rafael.

The bout would mark Spence’s return after nearly three years out of the ring and his official debut at 154lbs, following his loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023. It would also come as Tszyu continues an active run that has seen him fight seven times since Spence last competed, though with mixed results.

Spence, 36, enters with a record of 28-1 (22 KOs) and will be looking to re-establish himself as a contender in a junior middleweight division that includes champions Sebastian Fundora and Xander Zayas, alongside Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. His last appearance ended in a one-sided defeat to Crawford at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where he was knocked down three times and stopped in the ninth round in their undisputed welterweight title fight.

That defeat followed a run in which Spence unified the WBA (Super), WBC and IBF welterweight titles between 2017 and 2023, with wins over Yordenis Ugas, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter and Kell Brook. However, his activity has been limited, with just three fights since his serious car accident in October 2019 in Dallas, after which he was hospitalised in intensive care. Spence later suffered a retinal detachment in his left eye during sparring ahead of a scheduled August 2021 fight with Manny Pacquiao, and in January 2024 revealed he had undergone cataract surgery, attributing eye issues to his performance against Crawford.

The move to junior middleweight now represents both a fresh start and a significant test, with Spence set to face an opponent who has remained consistently active. Tszyu, 27-3 (18 KOs), has fought seven times since 2023, though he has suffered three defeats, two by stoppage. His recent form includes back-to-back comeback wins over Denis Nurja in April 2026 and Anthony Velazquez in December 2025, both by unanimous decision.

Those results followed a more turbulent period. Tszyu lost a rematch with Sebastian Fundora in last July and was stopped by Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024 in an IBF title fight. Earlier in 2024, he had also lost a split decision to Fundora after being elevated from interim to full WBO champion following Jermell Charlo’s departure from the division. Between those setbacks, he recorded a fourth-round stoppage win over Joseph Spencer in April 2025.

Trainer changes have become a recurring theme for both fighters heading into the proposed contest. Spence has linked up with Ronnie Shields following his split from longtime trainer Derrick James. Tszyu has appointed Jeff Fenech as his new trainer, marking his second team overhaul in three fights after previously parting ways with Igor Goloubev and Glenn Jennings, and later restructuring a team that included Pedro Diaz, with Fenech initially acting as an advisor.

Tszyu has said he is comfortable with Fenech’s training style and expects their partnership to develop into a significant one, with plans to base training in Sydney and potentially Thailand once the fight is confirmed. Fenech has expressed belief that Tszyu still has untapped potential and that his previous achievements have largely been self-directed.

No venue has been officially announced, although Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast is under consideration. The Queensland government has reportedly been in discussions with Tszyu’s promoter, No Limit, with the aim of staging a major event that could surpass the scale of the 2017 Jeff Horn vs Manny Pacquiao fight.

For Spence, it represents a return from inactivity, injury setbacks and a defining defeat, while for Tszyu it offers an opportunity to stabilise his position after a volatile stretch.