Tim Tszyu outlasts Errol Spence Jr. as an era ends in Sydney

Tim Tszyu lands a right hook to the head on Errol Spence Jr. during their middleweight clash Saturday night at Afterpay Arena in Sydney.SYDNEY — Errol Spence Jr. came to Afterpay Arena chasing one more run at glory. He left it as a fighter who fought his heart out and still walked away with nothing but respect, a unanimous decision loss to Tim Tszyu, and the rest of his life ahead of him. Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs), the hometown superstar, took a fight that swung wildly across twelve rounds and closed it out the way champions do: on his terms, in front of his people, with the job finished against a fighter of Spence's (28-2, 22 KOs) caliber.

id="isPasted">The card wasn't supposed to look like this. Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Liam Wilson was pulled after Fulton missed weight, and PBC scrambled to slot in unbeaten light heavyweights Paulo Aokuso and Luis Antonio Tejeda as the opener instead. It bumped the streaming prelims entirely and pushed the pay-per-view straight into action, but by the time Spence and Tszyu made their walks, none of that mattered. Both men were locked in at 159 pounds, and Afterpay Arena was rocking.

id="isPasted">Tim Tszyu made his entrance first, fire and pyro lighting up the arena as Jimmy Lennon Jr. worked the mic. Errol Spence Jr. followed with his team a few minutes later, the calm before a storm nobody could have scripted.

id="isPasted">Round one belonged to Tszyu almost immediately. He landed upstairs and wobbled Spence, who was working the body early but looked shaken every time Tszyu found the head. It was a warning shot for what was coming.

Tim Tszyu connects early up top on Errol Spence Jr. No Limit Boxing

class="photoCaption">Tim Tszyu connects early up top on Errol Spence Jr. with a right hand that found a home for a majority of the fight.

Spence answered how he always has, digging to the body and mixing in power shots, and by round three he was landing over the top after softening Tszyu underneath. But Tszyu kept walking forward, refusing to be discouraged, and his corner had a message between rounds: make Spence fight your fight, not his. Round four belonged to Tszyu again as he found his rhythm to the body, flipping the script on the fighter who'd built his legacy doing exactly that.

id="isPasted">By round five, the broadcast had Spence up 26-5 in landed body shots, and Shawn Porter Jr. on the call reminded viewers this was the relentless Spence he remembered. But Tszyu had other plans. He turned into the bully in round six, driving his lead hand to the head and drawing a warning from the referee toward Spence for putting his punches too close to below the belt line. From there, Tszyu's jab and right hand started finding a home, and Spence's corner could be heard pleading with him to create space and work behind the jab instead of waiting on Tszyu to come to him.

Tim Tszyu's right hand found an opening and landed multiple times against Errol Spence Jr. in their clash at Afterpay Arena.No Limit Boxing

class="photoCaption">Tim Tszyu's right hand finds an opening and lands cleanly on the chin of Errol Spence Jr. at Afterpay Arena in Sydney, Australia.

Rounds seven through nine were where the fight tipped. Tszyu's sweeping right hand landed with increasingly perfect timing, his jab opened up the head, and the broadcast crew didn't hide it: Spence looked like a man in deep water who didn't want to be there anymore. Spence kept trying to answer downstairs, but Tszyu absorbed it and fired back with hard counters, closing round nine with backhand hooks and a straight right that snapped Spence's head back.

A right hand from Tim Tszyu snaps Errol Spence Jr.'s head back during their middleweight bout Saturday night at Afterpay Arena in Sydney.No Limit Boxing

class="photoCaption">A right hand from Tim Tszyu snaps Errol Spence Jr.'s head back during their middleweight bout Saturday night at Afterpay Arena in Sydney.

Spence found one more gear late. He dug in during round eleven, trading upstairs with Tszyu and stealing the round on will alone, the heart of a former champion who wasn't ready to let go just yet. It wasn't enough. Round twelve was all Tszyu, setting up the jab and working the body over and over while Spence had nothing left to answer with. The crowd roared him home in the final twenty seconds.

>The fight went the full twelve rounds, and the scorecards reflected just how much Tszyu took over as it wore on: 118-110, 117-111, 117-111, all in favor of Tim Tszyu by unanimous decision.

Tim Tszyu raises his hand in victory after defeating Errol Spence Jr. by unanimous decision in Sydney, Australia. No Limit Boxing

class="photoCaption">Tim Tszyu raises his hand in victory after defeating Errol Spence Jr. by unanimous decision in Sydney, Australia.

“Middleweight is my new division and I feel strong,” Tszyu said afterward. “This was one hell of a show. There were sleepless nights where I was thinking about facing a legend like Spence. I understand why he's one of the greats.” He credited his corner and trainer Jeff Fenech for the gameplan, saying he's chasing the standard set by his father, Kostya Tszyu, and Fenech both.

id="isPasted">“I'd love to fight for a world title. I want Erislandy Lara and all the champions,” Tszyu said, already looking toward his next move. “But beating a great like Errol Spence tops any world title for me.”

Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr. embrace in the ring after the final bell, finally sharing a handshake after a promotion defined by tension between the two.No Limit Boxing

class="photoCaption">Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr. embrace in the ring after the final bell, finally sharing a handshake after a promotion defined by tension between the two.

For Spence, the moment carried far more finality. “It was a good fight and congratulations to Tim,” Spence said. “It's been a great event and everyone has treated me well. I answered a lot of questions for myself and now it's time to go home with my family and start a new life. I've got my faculties intact and my money is working for itself. I'm thankful to leave this sport with my family by my side.”

>Errol Spence Jr. retires from boxing after this fight, closing the book on one of the more talented careers of his generation on a night that, fittingly, went the distance.