However, before Spence can focus on the encounter down under, he still has to address the skeletons of his past.

Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) has been sidelined ever since suffering a one-sided stoppage loss against Terence Crawford in July 2023 for the undisputed welterweight title. Spence came in as the IBF, WBA and WBC champion but was dropped once in the second round and twice in the seventh before an onslaught ended matters in the ninth.

“Man, that camp was bull----,” Spence said during a revealing two-hour conversation with Andre Ward on “All The Smoke Fight.” “Yeah, bro [the whole camp]. I didn't spar for probably, like, six, seven weeks. It was just a lot of stuff that went wrong in that camp.

“It got to a point too where my body felt like ... I was back to living wrong, before the Crawford fight. You can't get into camp thinking you're young, and everything is going to be all good now. Even out of camp, you have to live right. Once you get into camp, everything will be cool.

“I'm cool now because I've been living right. I haven't been drinking and none of that. I am still working out. Once I get into camp, I am free-flowing. In that camp, everything was out of whack, and my body wasn't there.

“For me, I knew that this maximum payout [against Crawford was] going to take care of my family, even if I am not here.”

At 36, Spence has endured more than his share of setbacks both inside and outside the ring. The DeSoto, Texas, native walked away from a horrific car crash that could have cost him his life in 2019, then saw his highly anticipated showdown with Manny Pacquiao fall apart in 2021 after suffering a detached retina.

Beyond the physical challenges, Spence, who’s nicknamed “The Truth,” has been candid about his struggles with excessive alcohol consumption, adding another complicated layer throughout his journey.

To prepare for Tszyu for what’s supposed to be a 158-pound catchweight clash presented by Prime Video Pay-Per-View on July 26 – July 25 in the U.S. – Spence has handed the coaching keys to touted trainer Ronnie Shields.

“I didn't know if I was going to box ever again,” Spence said. “I felt like that before the [Crawford] fight. That's why I took so long off. I'm still going to fight. It is what it is. I'm not going to make any excuses. I'm just going to do what I do. Whatever criticism comes with it, comes with it. At the end of the day, I am doing it for a bigger picture.”