Spence, a former unified welterweight champion, will end his three-year layoff when he faces Tim Tszyu in a 12-round, 158-pound catchweight bout on July 26 in Sydney, Australia (July 25 in the US on DAZN and Prime Video PPV).

With Tszyu, Spence believes he’ll see just how much he has left.

“Tim Tszyu is very tough,” Spence told The Ring. “He's a guy that's gonna come forward. He's gonna come to fight. I picked Tszyu because I feel like he's a guy that's gonna really test me.”

Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) claimed his first welterweight title in 2017 when he traveled across the pond to beat IBF champion Kell Brook by 11th-round stoppage. He went on a run that included victories over Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. That set the stage for a clash with Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight title in July 2023.

What could have gone wrong for Spence did, as he was dropped three times before being stopped in the ninth round by Crawford.

The thought of retirement came and went for Spence during his time outside of the ring. As time elapsed, the 36-year-old southpaw was eventually drawn back to the squared circle, and he believes the time off has proven beneficial.

“I had the break to rest my body and get everything right,” Spence said. “I’m feeling great. I wouldn’t be coming back if I wasn’t feeling great.”

Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs), a former unified 154-pound champion, is at a crossroads himself. In his last significant bout, he was stopped after seven rounds by WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora in July 2025. The 31-year-old Aussie has notched consecutive unanimous decision defeats over Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja.

Spence has teamed up with renowned trainer Ronnie Shields ahead of his return. Along with the shift in philosophy going from Derrick James to Shields, Spence said he’s had more time off, which has proven beneficial for his body as he prepares for Tszyu.

“I've been learning a lot,” Spence said. “We've been polishing up on different things. He's very experienced. He worked with a lot of the greats, and it's been great working out with Ronnie.”