Shakur Stevenson maintained his predictions for the Errol Spence Jr vs. Tim Tszyu fight, believing that one fighter would be too “mentally tough” for the other.

The meeting of the two former world champions will take place on July 25 in Australia at weight of 158 pounds to accommodate Spence’s inactivity.

Even though Tszyu insisted on fighting at super welterweight, his opponent clearly felt the extra 4 pounds would be appropriate after his three-year layoff.

This long break came after Spence suffered a ninth-round stoppage loss to Terence Crawford, who became the undisputed king of the 147-pound division in surprisingly one-sided fashion.

Spence previously held the WBC, IBF and WBA titles with victories over Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Yordenis Ugas, although a weight augment always seemed inevitable.

Now the 36-year-old hopes to revive his career against Tszyu, who is coming off a two-point win after losing to Sebastian Fundora last July.

While their rematch ended in the seventh round, Tszyu showed tremendous strength against Fundora in 2024, only to lose the WBO title via split decision.

Later that year, the Australian suffered a third-round defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev, with four-division world champion Stevenson saying: The whole fight against smoke that he thinks Spence is a level above him.

“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats Tim Tszyu.

“I’m an Errol Spence fan; I was okay with Errol Spence before [Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally forceful – Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.

Stevenson previously suggested that Spence could “destroy” Tszyu, believing the 31-year-old’s style was tailor-made for “The Truth.”

Despite concerns about Errol’s long three-year absence from the ring, Shakur believes the former unified welterweight champion still has what it takes to beat Tszyu.

“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats up Tim Tszyu,” Shakur said on Andre Ward’s channel.

“I’m an Errol Spence fan; Errol Spence was OK before [Terence Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally robust. Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.

Spence has not fought since a ninth-round loss to Crawford in July 2023 that cost him the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight titles. After almost three years of break from competition, the 36-year-old is now trying to resume his career in a fresh weight class.

Meanwhile, Tszyu enters the fight with regained momentum after a arduous period in 2024. The former WBO junior middleweight champion bounced back from setbacks to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev with back-to-back victories to get back into position for his next marquee fight.

Shakur has previously expressed confidence in Spence’s chances against Tszyu, but his latest comments suggest he remains confident that the Texan’s experience, mentality and overall ability will be the deciding factor on July 25.

The fight will be one of the biggest tests of Spence’s career. While Tszyu is looking to secure a spectacular win that could redefine his position in the junior middleweight division, Errol will be looking to show that he can still compete at the highest level after an extended period of inactivity.

Shawn Porter believes David Benavidez’s toughest assignment could come between the cruiserweight and lithe heavyweight divisions, against a former world champion with tremendous power.

Although the “Mexican Monster” has hinted at a possible move to heavyweight, it is more likely that he will stay at 200 pounds or drop back to 175 pounds for his next fight.

His last meeting with Gilberto Ramirez ended in a sixth-round stoppage, which made him a three-division world champion last month, winning the WBO and WBA titles.

Benavidez has since been named the mandatory challenger for the WBC title, putting him in line for a potential unification fight with cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian.

At the same time, the 29-year-old expressed interest in fighting Jai Opetaia, considered the No. 1 fighter in the cruiserweight division, while considering a return to lithe heavyweight, where he still holds the WBC title.

It would only be a desire to fight Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev, who could alternatively join the rubber match for Bivol’s IBF, WBO and WBA titles.

Beterbiev hasn’t fought since their rematch, that is Bivol won by majority decision in February 2025 and is certainly nearing the end of his career.

Former world champion Porter, however, went on to say his YouTube channel that he thinks the 41-year-old knockout could still cause problems for Benavidez.

“In the case of Beterbiev, there is this power. [Even now]it’s still a machine. Of all these players, I trust Beterbiev’s power to test Benavidez more than anything else.

“Bivol has amazing skills. For me, Opetaia [is] he is not experienced enough.”

Most believe that Bivol and Opetaia pose a greater threat to Benavidez’s unbeaten record, given that Beterbiev has a history of injuries and is perhaps even more out of shape.