There are very few moments in boxing that leave me feeling genuinely pleased for a fighter after they’ve announced their retirement.
Normally, retirement comes too late.
We’ve seen it time and time again. Great champions chase one last payday, one last title shot or one last opportunity to prove they can still compete with the next generation. Sometimes it works, but more often it doesn’t. Instead of celebrating remarkable careers, fans are left watching legends absorb punishment they no longer need to take.
That’s why the news that Errol Spence Jr has officially retired following his defeat to Tim Tszyu feels different.
Not because he lost.
Not because his best years were behind him.
But because Errol Spence Jr recognised that the time had come to walk away.
For me, that’s one of the bravest decisions any fighter can make.
Errol Spence Jr owes boxing nothing
Whenever a great fighter retires, the first question always seems to be whether they should have carried on.
Personally, I think that’s the wrong conversation.
Errol Spence Jr doesn’t owe boxing another fight.
He doesn’t owe fans another world title run.
He certainly doesn’t owe anyone another brutal training camp just to satisfy the curiosity of people wondering whether he has “one more left”.
His career speaks for itself.
Unified world champion.
Three major world titles.
Victories over Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia and Yordenis Ugas.
For several years, he wasn’t just one of the best welterweights on the planet—he was one of the best fighters in the sport, full stop.
That’s the version of Errol Spence Jr that deserves to be remembered.
The car crash could have ended everything
It’s impossible to talk about Errol Spence Jr without remembering the horrific car crash he survived in 2019.
Many feared we’d never see him box again.
Some wondered whether we’d ever see him live a normal life again.
Instead, he somehow fought his way back to world championship level.
He defended his titles, unified further and proved that the accident hadn’t broken his spirit.
When he announced his comeback, I wrote about what returning after such a traumatic experience really meant and whether he could still compete at the highest level.
Looking back now, it feels like an important chapter in understanding his career as a whole.
If there is one image that should define Spence’s career, it isn’t him sitting on the canvas against Terence Crawford or losing to Tim Tszyu.
It’s him climbing back into a boxing ring after surviving something that could easily have taken his life.
Great fighters shouldn’t be judged by their final chapter
One thing that frustrates me about boxing is how quickly people rewrite history.
A fighter can dominate for a decade.
Then lose twice.
Suddenly, that’s all some people remember.
The defeats to Terence Crawford and Tim Tszyu don’t erase everything Errol Spence Jr achieved beforehand.
Crawford produced one of the greatest performances of the modern era.
Tszyu beat a fighter whose body and career had already been through more than most champions ever experience.
Neither defeat changes the fact that Spence spent years establishing himself as the man to beat at welterweight.
Every great champion eventually reaches a point where time wins.
The truly difficult part is recognising it.
Boxing needs more retirements like this
If there’s one lesson boxing should take from Errol Spence Jr, it’s that there is absolutely no shame in walking away.
In fact, I’d argue there should be more respect for it.
Too often, fighters continue because promoters see another payday.
Fans convince themselves there’s one more miracle left.
Social media demands another comeback.
Meanwhile, the fighter is the one taking the punches.
I’ve written before about how difficult retirement is in boxing, and Spence’s decision only reinforces that belief.
Knowing when to stop might be every bit as important as knowing how to win.
Legacy isn’t built in your final fight
When boxing historians look back at Errol Spence Jr, I hope they don’t start with his final two defeats.
I hope they remember the relentless pressure.
The devastating body punching.
The calm confidence.
The willingness to fight the best available opponents.
Most of all, I hope they remember a fighter who survived unimaginable adversity, climbed back to the top of the sport and then had the courage to admit when the journey had reached its natural conclusion.
That’s not weakness.
That’s wisdom.
Errol Spence Jr leaves as one of the best of his generation
Every generation has fighters who help define an era.
For the welterweight division, Errol Spence Jr was undoubtedly one of them.
He may not retire unbeaten.
He may not retire as the undisputed champion.
But he retires with something many fighters never get.
His reputation.
His dignity.
His health.
And a legacy that doesn’t need another fight to validate it.
If more champions followed the example set by Errol Spence Jr, perhaps boxing wouldn’t have quite so many sad endings.
What do you think?
Do you think Errol Spence Jr made the right decision by retiring now, or would you have liked to see him fight one last time?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoyed this article, please share it with other boxing fans and visit CMBoxing for more opinion, analysis and honest discussion on the biggest stories in the sport.