Spence Tszyu fight in Sydney jumps to middleweight after late weight move
Errol Spence Jr. faces Tim Tszyu in Sydney at middleweight, with PPV details, ring-walk timing and a shuffled undercard.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Spence Tszyu fight lands at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena on Sunday afternoon local time, with Errol Spence Jr. returning after a three-year layoff to face Australian former world champion Tim Tszyu, ESPN reported.
According to ESPN, the bout had originally been planned for a catchweight, but the fighters will now meet at middleweight after Spence asked late for the limit to rise from 158 pounds to 160 pounds. ESPN noted that the move puts Spence two divisions above welterweight, where he previously competed at 147 pounds.
Spence enters with a 28-1 record and 22 knockouts, ESPN reported. His last fight was the 2023 loss to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas.
Tszyu comes in at 27-3 with 18 knockouts, according to ESPN. The Australian is trying to rebuild after losing three times in a four-fight run, and ESPN reported that he has since answered with unanimous decision wins over Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja.
What time is the Spence Tszyu fight?
ESPN reported that prelims are scheduled to start at about 9 a.m. Sunday in Sydney, which is 7 p.m. ET Saturday. The main card is set for roughly 11 a.m. local time, or 9 p.m. ET.
Ring walks for Spence and Tszyu are expected at about 1 p.m. in Sydney, ESPN reported, though the exact timing depends on how long the earlier fights run.
How can fans watch Spence vs. Tszyu?
In Australia, ESPN reported that the fight will air on Main Event and Kayo as a pay-per-view priced at AU$69.95.
Outside Australia, ESPN said DAZN will carry the fight on pay-per-view. Viewers can buy it as a standalone event for US$79.99 or £24.99, or access it through DAZN’s Ultimate Tier, according to ESPN.
What happened to the undercard?
The support lineup has taken two late hits, ESPN reported. Jermall Charlo had been due to face Koen Mazoudier in the co-main event, but ESPN said that bout was removed after Charlo did not obtain an Australian visa.
A world title eliminator between Stephen Fulton Jr. and Liam Wilson was then elevated into that spot, according to ESPN. That fight was canceled Saturday morning after Fulton missed weight by 6.5 pounds, ESPN reported, marking the second straight fight in which Fulton failed to make weight.
The listed undercard now includes Callum Peters against Ivan Ricardo Actis at lightweight, Paul Fleming against Ahmad Reda at middleweight, Paulo Aokuso against Luis Antonio Tejeda for the IBF Pan Pacific light heavyweight title, and Tina Rahimi against Sacha Ryan Dryden at super bantamweight, according to ESPN.
ESPN reported that the winner of Spence vs. Tszyu is expected to move back toward world title contention, though possible opponents and timelines are not yet clear.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.