Errol Spence Jr.'s three-year absence from professional boxing is set to formally conclude on July 25, when he steps into the ring against Tim Tszyu in Australia. This highly anticipated bout was confirmed by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Thursday, with the event scheduled as a PBC PPV on Prime at a venue yet to be determined. The news was reported by combat sports reporter Andreas Hale for ESPN, who covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling, and is also a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation.

Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) has not competed since July 2023, when he suffered a significant defeat, being knocked down three times and stopped by Terence Crawford in a pivotal bout that aimed to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. Following this loss, speculation mounted regarding if and when the former champion would return. However, ESPN learned in February that Spence had been planning his comeback against Tszyu this summer, at a weight of 154 pounds. Initially, the fight was targeted for early June, but the date was subsequently pushed back by a month to its current July 25 slot.

Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs), a former IBF junior middleweight champion, has navigated a challenging period in his career over the past couple of years. After an impressive start with a 24-0 record, he experienced a rough patch, including two losses to Sebastian Fundora and another to Bakhram Murtazaliev. Despite these setbacks, Tszyu has recently regained momentum, securing consecutive victories against Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja. These wins have paved the way for this significant matchup with Spence on his home continent of Australia.

This contest is being widely viewed as a major crossroads fight for both former world champions. The 36-year-old Spence aims to emphatically prove that he still possesses championship-caliber skills and material after his prolonged hiatus from the sport. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Tszyu is driven to demonstrate that his recent difficulties were merely an anomaly, not the norm, by taking on a fighter who was once considered a top pound-for-pound competitor.