Errol Spence Jr., a former unified world welterweight champion, has announced his retirement from professional boxing at the age of 36. The decision comes after suffering back-to-back defeats in the ring, most recently against Tim Tszyu in Sydney on Sunday.
Spence confirmed his retirement during his post-fight interview, stating, "I think, yeah. For sure." He elaborated on his reasoning, emphasizing the importance of preserving his health and financial security. "I've got my faculties intact. My money is good at working for itself. Everything's good, man. 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," he said.
The fight against Tszyu, a unanimous decision loss with judges scoring 118-110, 117-111, and 117-111 in favor of the Australian, marked Spence's second consecutive career defeat. Tszyu, who outlanded Spence 190 to 157, praised Spence after the bout, calling him "one of the greats" of his era.
Spence concludes his professional career with an impressive record of 28 wins and 2 losses, including 22 victories by knockout. During his prime, the Texas-based fighter unified the WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight titles and was considered one of the sport's pound-for-pound elite, with notable wins against Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, and Danny Garcia.
However, his career trajectory shifted following a severe car accident in Dallas in October 2019. Spence was ejected from his Ferrari after it reportedly traveled at high speed and tumbled multiple times. He returned to the ring 14 months later. His undefeated streak was broken in July 2023 when he was stopped in the ninth round by Terence "Bud" Crawford. Crawford, who was in attendance at the Tszyu fight, had become the first undisputed welterweight champion in the four-belt era since 2006 and the first male boxer to achieve undisputed status in two weight divisions.
After a three-year layoff prior to facing Tszyu, Spence's final bout signifies the end of a distinguished career for one of America's prominent boxers.