“If I was to come out and lose, my career is over. I’m done. There’s no sense in me trying to push for what?” Shields said to Fight Hub TV, recalling Spence telling him. “This is for him. He’s satisfying himself.”

Shields explained that Spence never discussed chasing another world title or mapping out a long run after this fight. The goal has remained the same throughout training camp in Sydney. Spence wanted another opportunity to leave the sport on his own terms after the one-sided loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023.

“He just didn’t want to go out the way he went out,” Shields said. “He may fight one, two maybe, but no more than three fights.”

Even a victory over Tszyu would not guarantee another appearance. Shields said Spence plans to evaluate how he feels physically and mentally before deciding whether to continue.

“Even if he wins, he says, ‘You know what? That’s it. I’m satisfied with what I accomplished.’ If he loses, definitely that’s it,” Shields said. “He’s doing this on his own terms. It’s not by anybody else’s terms.”

Spence faces Tszyu on July 25 in Sydney in his first fight since the Crawford defeat. While many fans have wondered whether another championship run could follow, Shields made it clear that the result itself may determine whether Spence walks away from boxing for good.