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Errol Spence Jr has explained his decision to snub Tim Tszyu’s handshake this week, ahead of their showdown in Sydney on Saturday.
Spence will box for the first time in three years when he faces Australia’s Tszyu in enemy territory, with the pair clashing at middleweight – after Spence asked for the limit to be moved up from a 158lb catchweight.
And ahead of that fight, Tszyu took aim at Spence’s eye injury, a 2021 retinal tear that ruled the American out of a bout with Manny Pacquiao.
Errol Spence Jr before his most-recent fight, a 2023 loss to Terence Crawford (Getty)
“I’m coming for every limb,” Tszyu told Main Event with a smirk this week. “That’s it, simple – especially that retina.”
That comment led Spence, 36, to refuse a handshake with Tszyu, 31, and Spence has now explained his thinking.
“It’s not personal, it’s just... man, we’re gonna fight,” Spence told Premier Boxing Champions. “And I understand him trying to be a ‘gentleman’, but that’s not the facts, because he said stuff about taking my eye, and breaking it, and all this type of stuff.
“Saying this, and you wanna shake my hand? You’re trying to take my eyesight, but now you want to shake my hand and be friends or whatever?
“I don’t wanna shake your hand. You’re saying all this type of stuff about me: you’re gonna do this, you’re gonna do that, okay, you’re gonna beat me like [...] and you’re gonna retire me, and this and that.
“I’m not trying to shake your hand, bro. You said what you said, now stand on it.
“It’s no mind game, I don’t play mind games. It’s how I feel; I don’t wanna shake your hand, bro.”
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Tim Tszyu during his win over Denis Nurja in April (Getty)
Spence’s last outing was a super-fight with Terence Crawford in 2023, as the latter dropped Spence three times en route to a stoppage win.
WIth that, Spence suffered his first-ever professional loss, as the unbeaten Crawford became undisputed welterweight champion in a surprisingly one-sided fight.
Spence thus enters Saturday’s fight at Sydney Olympic Park with a 28-1 (22 KOs) record, while Tszyu is 27-3 (18 KOs). Last time out, Tszyu outpointed Denis Nurja in April.