Crawford supports former rival as Spence returns at 154 against Tszyu after long layoff
Terence Crawford backed Errol Spence Jr.’s return after the July 25 fight with Tim Tszyu was confirmed. The message carries weight given Crawford stopped Spence in their 2023 undisputed bout.
Spence will return on July 25 against Tim Tszyu in Australia, more than two years after Crawford stopped him in the ninth round of their undisputed welterweight fight in 2023. Since then, Spence has stayed mostly out of the spotlight while Crawford added another major accomplishment by defeating Canelo Alvarez before retiring last December.
After news of the Tszyu fight became official, Crawford publicly backed his former rival on social media.
“Good seeing you back out there. Get to it, I’ll be there supporting,” said Crawford on X, reacting to Spence’s comeback.
The message stood out because Crawford has a clearer picture than anyone of what Spence looked like at the elite level before the loss and what remained afterward. Their fight was expected to settle a long-running debate between two unbeaten champions. Instead, Crawford dominated the bout and handed Spence the first defeat of his career in one-sided fashion.
Now Spence returns at 154 pounds against a fighter who is also trying to rebuild momentum. Tszyu has lost two of his last three fights, including defeats against Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, but he still represents a dangerous comeback opponent for someone who has not fought since the Crawford loss.
The move to junior middleweight could help Spence physically after years of draining himself to make 147. The bigger question is whether the version of Spence that existed before the Crawford fight is still there after such a long layoff.
Crawford’s public support does not answer that question. It does, however, suggest he still sees Spence as a serious fighter rather than someone returning for one last payday.