Michael Zerafa pulls out of fight with Tim Tszyu

One of the most anticipated sporting events of the year has been cancelled, with the much-publicised fight between Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa on 7 July called off due to Covid-19 concerns.

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Zerafa, who is based in Melbourne, raised concerns about the health and safety of the fight.

The Zerafa camp had opted not to travel to Newcastle, where the bout was due to be held, after the latest Covid-19 outbreaks in NSW.

The decision at least temporarily takes the gas out of the rivalry between Tszyu and Zerafa, which had been heating up over the past few months.

Tszyyu’s promoters had attempted to ease Zerafa’s concerns to get the fight to proceed.

However, even halving the venue’s capacity to 3000 people and NSW Health’s approval of the event, Team Zerafa refused to budge and said they wouldn’t come to Newcastle.

Melbourne-based Michael Zerafa wasn’t happy with the health and safety of holding the fight with Tim Tszyu in Newcastle. (Photo by Peter Lorimer/Getty Images)Source:Getty Images

A replacement has been named to fight Tszyu in Zerafa’s absence.

Queensland’s Stevie Spark has stepped in and will take on Tszyu next Wednesday night.

“I’m a fighter and fighters fight. I’m fit and I’m ready and I’m coming to Newcastle to win!” Spark said.

Zerafa said he would be happy to contest the fight if it was postponed by a fortnight but Team Tszyu wouldn’t accept his terms.

“We’re happy to fight him anywhere in the country if it’s deemed Covid-free,” Zerafa told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m not going to go and fight with no team and no trainers behind me after being with them for the last 12 weeks in camp

“(Health and financial wellbeing) always comes first. I could go over there and fight but we start as a team and finish as a team. I stick by my team and, when Covid is in place, we can’t afford that.

“He’s been talking it up and he’s been chasing me, following me around for the last three years, couldn’t get my name out of his mouth,” Tszyu said.

“And it’s finally come to it and they’re making all this random bullshit up.”

However, Zerafa said he still desperately wanted the fight to go ahead, just at a later date.

“I’ve been in front of Tim Tszyu, been to Sydney three or four times, and he had nothing to say,” Zerafa said on Wednesday.

“Now he knows the fight is off and he’s found his vocal cords. It’s pretty pathetic. It’s just wrong.

More to come.

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