|
Philippines, 28 Jul 2026 |
Home >> News |  |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
PHILBOXING.COM MONDAY ROUNDUP: Tszyu Outclasses Spence in Sydney as "The Truth" Retires; Heavyweight Drama in Pattaya and Jeddah By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing PhilBoxing.com Mon, 27 Jul 2026  Welcome to your Monday boxing briefing on PhilBoxing.com. An historic, action-packed weekend of global combat sports has come to a close. From a changing of the guard in Sydney that brought a Hall of Fame career to its conclusion, to high-drama heavyweight tune-ups in Thailand and Saudi Arabia, and Zuffa Boxing's NYC debut, here is your definitive recap of the weekend's big fight results and major storylines. 1. SYDNEY BLOCKBUSTER: Tszyu Outclasses Spence; "The Truth" Formally Retires Australia’s Tim "The Phoenix" Tszyu completed a majestic redemption arc on Sunday afternoon at the Afterpay Arena in Sydney, capturing a wide unanimous decision victory over former unified welterweight king Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. before a sold-out home crowd. The Fight: Fought at the full 160-pound middleweight limit, the contest began with sharp back-and-forth exchanges over the first six rounds as Spence used his southpaw jab and body work to test the Australian. However, Tszyu took complete control in the second half under the guidance of trainer Jeff Fenech, backing Spence up with a punishing lead jab and heavy combination work. Judges Carlos Costa and Ioana Schwalger both scored it 117–111, while judge Adam Height scored it 118–110, all for Tszyu. Spence Announces Retirement: In a poignant post-fight ring interview, Spence (28-2, 22 KOs) officially announced his retirement from professional boxing after a legendary career at the sport's highest level: "It was a great fight. Congratulations to Tim and Jeff Fenech... It was a good showing by Tim. I answered a lot of questions about myself, and now it’s time to go home with my family and start a new life. Yeah, for sure [I'm retiring]. I’ve got my faculties intact. My money is good and working for itself, so everything’s good, man. I’ve got a beautiful family and I thank God that I’m able to leave this sport with my faculties intact." What's Next for Tszyu: Having declared his permanent move to 160 pounds, Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs) instantly vaults into prime position for a WBA middleweight title shot against Erislandy Lara or high-stakes mega-fights against Jaron "Boots" Ennis and Vergil Ortiz. 2. HEAVYWEIGHT TUNE-UPS: Joshua Survives Disaster to KO Prenga; Fury Halts Wach The two preeminent British heavyweights successfully navigated their high-stakes warm-up hurdles on back-to-back days, keeping their targeted November showdown firmly alive—though not without heart-in-mouth drama in Jeddah. Joshua Overcomes Shock Knockdowns to KO Prenga in 2: Headlining "The Comeback" at the Jeddah Superdome on Saturday, former two-time unified champion Anthony "AJ" Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) survived a near-disastrous opening round before flattening Albanian knockout artist Kristian Prenga (20-2, 20 KOs) in Round 2. The Drama: Prenga shocked the crowd by catching Joshua with a brutal right uppercut just 20 seconds into the bout, sending AJ crashing to the canvas, followed by a second knockdown late in the opening frame. The Finish: Showing tremendous resolve, Joshua composed himself in Round 2, backing Prenga up behind a stiff jab before unleashing a thunderous right-hand combination that sent Prenga through the ropes at 2:43 of Round 2. Eddie Hearn confirmed post-fight that contracts for the November mega-fight against Tyson Fury are signed. Fury Halts Wach in Thailand (TKO 7): On Friday in Pattaya, former lineal champion Tyson "The Gypsy King" Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) handled his business by dismantling Polish veteran Mariusz Wach (39-14, 20 KOs) at the Max Muaythai Stadium. Despite Wach outweighing him by over 26 pounds on the scales, Fury used slick movement and relentless combination volume until Wach was pulled out on his stool at the end of the 7th round. 3. ZUFFA BOXING 09: Berlanga Battles Back to Stop Butler; Hitchins Sweeps Salas At Zuffa Boxing 09 in New York City on Sunday night, super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga and junior welterweight technician Richardson Hitchins delivered explosive performances. Berlanga Halts Butler in Round 7: Edgar Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) overcame early adversity to score a thrilling 7th-round TKO over Canada's Steven Butler. After getting dropped late in Round 1 by a heavy Butler right hand, Berlanga engaged in a wild firefight through the middle rounds. Berlanga scored a decisive knockdown in Round 6 with a step-back left hook before swarming Butler in Round 7 to force referee Eric Dali's stoppage at 1:14. Hitchins Masterclass Sweeps Salas: In the co-feature, Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) put on a 10-round defensive and tactical clinic against Ricardo Salas. Utilizing a sharp jab, shoulder roll, and Philly shell defense, Hitchins neutralized Salas' pressure while countering with precision body-head combinations, earning a clean 100–90 unanimous decision sweep on all three scorecards. 4. OTHER WEEKEND RESULTS & REGIONAL CIRCUIT Sydney Undercard Drama & Mullet Wager: Following the last-minute cancellation of Steven Fulton Jr. vs. Liam Wilson due to Fulton missing weight by 6.5 pounds (139.5 lbs on a 133 lb catchweight), super featherweights Ahmed Reda and Paul Fleming stepped into the undercard spotlight. Reda edged Fleming via razor-thin split decision—meaning Fleming must now shave his signature mullet per their pre-fight press conference wager! Jeddah Title Bouts: On the Joshua vs. Prenga undercard, WBO Super Middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz retained his undefeated record with a dominant 7th-round TKO over Simon Zachenhuber, while Josh Kelly captured the IBF Junior Middleweight belt with a 12-round decision over Caoimhin Agyarko. 2026 Capri Boxing Cup: Team USA’s elite squad competed in Capri, Italy, splitting their 8-bout duel 4–4 against Italy, led by Paris Olympians Jennifer Lozano and Alyssa Mendoza scoring stoppage victories. 5. THE EDITORIAL VERDICT: A Changing of the Guard This weekend represented a monumental turning point for the sport. Errol Spence Jr. leaves boxing with his health, wealth, and Hall of Fame legacy intact, handing the baton to a rejuvenated Tim Tszyu who now commands the 160-pound landscape. Meanwhile, with Anthony Joshua surviving a frightful opening round and Tyson Fury taking care of business in Thailand, the stage is officially cleared for the biggest heavyweight event of the decade this coming November. Check back Thursday, for our mid-week fight previews, press conference updates, and global ranking breakdowns on PhilBoxing.com. Click here to view a list of other articles written by NewsHub @ PhilBoxing .  |
|
|
PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general. Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com |
PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
developed and maintained by dong secuya © 2026 philboxing.com. |
