Ronnie Shields believes Errol Spence Jr. will return stronger after nearly three years out when he faces Tim Tszyu on July 25 in Sydney, Australia.
Spence has not fought since his first professional defeat to Terence Crawford in July 2023, and his last win came against Yordenis Ugas in April 2022. Despite the long layoff, Shields says the former unified welterweight champion has stayed active in training and is not coming back from a cold start.
“Everybody is right who say he’s not going to be the same,” Shields said. “He’s going to be better. So much better than he ever was.”
Shields said he tested Spence in hard workouts before committing fully to the comeback. He told Spence that if he did not like what he saw after the first week, he would be honest and advise against continuing. According to Shields, Spence passed that test without problems.
“His body is well rested. He feels really good,” Shields said. “His punches are fluid, he’s strong, and his defense is looking good.”
Spence, now 36, will face former WBO junior middleweight champion Tszyu in a 158-pound catchweight bout. It is a major test after a long absence, especially against a naturally bigger and active opponent.
Shields says Spence is not thinking too far ahead. The focus is simply proving to himself that he can return, perform well and still compete at the level that once made him one of boxing’s top fighters.
Image Credit: PBC