Tim Tszyu Explains Why He Accepted Errol Spence Weight Request

Tim Tszyu had no interest in objecting when Errol Spence Jr. asked to raise the contracted weight for their July 26 fight in Sydney from 158 pounds to the middleweight limit of 160. Tszyu said he agreed immediately because he wants to face the best version of the former unified welterweight champion, not one weakened by the scales.

“I just wanted him here. I wanted the fight to happen. I’m not a diva. It’s whatever, man, whatever. I’m an easy guy,” said Tszyu to Ring Magazine. “I just don’t want any excuses. I want him here, refreshed, rejuvenated, make sure he’s not struggling with weight, make sure everything’s on point, because I wanna beat up the best Errol Spence.

“I was notified on Saturday whether or not I would accept the change. And apparently it was because he was supposed to come [to Australia] a bit earlier, but now he needs a little bit of extra time, because he’s flying in a bit later, to adapt to the change. So, I don’t know. Whatever they say, whatever, man. For me, it was like, ‘All right, whatever.’”

Tszyu admitted he found the late request “very strange,” but it wasn’t enough to make him hesitate. Rather than force Spence to stick to the original catchweight, he viewed the extra two pounds as a way to remove any questions about whether the former champion entered the ring at full strength.

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Tszyu’s decision also removes one potential talking point after the fight. Had he insisted on keeping the bout at 158 pounds, any struggles by Spence likely would have been blamed on the weight cut. By agreeing to 160 without hesitation, Tszyu made it clear he wants the outcome determined by what happens in the ring, not by the number on the scale.

The additional two pounds simply weren’t important to Tszyu. His priority was getting Spence to Sydney healthy and ready to fight, leaving the performances inside the ropes to settle everything else.

Tom Galm is a boxing journalist who has covered the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends, and fighter psychology.

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