Roy Jones Jr has urged Errol Spence Jr to adapt his approach, and rediscover elements of his amateur style, ahead of his comeback fight against Tim Tszyu.
‘The Truth’ has not fought since his undisputed encounter with Terence Crawford, back when he suffered a surprisingly one-sided ninth-round stoppage defeat in July 2023.
As a result, Spence was relieved of his WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight titles before stepping away from the sport and giving no indication as to whether he would return.
Now, though, the 36-year-old is gearing up to face fellow former world champion Tszyu, who will boast a home advantage when they collide in Australia on July 25.
The pair have reportedly agreed to a limit of 158lbs, with Spence looking to reinvent himself at a new weight and with a new trainer.
Such changes can partly be explained by his defeat to Crawford, as Spence has since expressed his disappointment with the training camp that had been arranged by his then-head coach, Derrick James.
Now training with Ronnie Shields, this feels like an opportunity for the American to right the wrongs and perhaps even gain inspiration from his old amateur style.
Speaking with ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT, Hall of Famer Jones said he would like to see Spence focus more on being an all-round boxer, rather than an all-out pressure fighter.
“Shout out to [Spence] for taking a fight of this magnitude right away, after being [out the ring] for three years.
“He’s taking on a guy who’s been active. [Tszyu’s] not been at the top – not had the best outcomes [in recent fights] – but he’s been highly active and he’s highly dangerous.
“When [Spence] was an amateur fighter, he was an all-round boxer. He just chose to use pressure in the pros but, to get where he wants to get, he’s got to go back to being that [fighter he was as an amateur].”
Spence was a vastly accomplished amateur who became a three-time national champion and entered the 2012 Olympics, only to lose his quarter-final bout against Russia’s Andrey Zamkovoy.