Tim Tszyu promises to punish Michael Zerafa for Kostya

It’s the grudge match not even the Delta variant can stop.

Tim Tszyu’s fight against Michael Zerafa will proceed on Wednesday, July 7 despite the latest Covid restrictions across NSW.

It had been feared the super-welterweight bout would be cancelled when lockdowns were imposed across Greater Sydney, however Tszyu managed to get to Newcastle just before that was enacted.

Zerafa, travelling to Newcastle this weekend, is in an area of Melbourne unaffected by the latest Covid outbreak and can fly direct to the regional town.

Newcastle is not under lockdown, however the sold-out event will now only be able to hold half the capacity audience at the Entertainment Centre.

This fight between the two bitter enemies has been three years in the making and organisers are desperate to ensure it goes ahead.

Watch Tim Tszyu v Michael Zerafa on Main Event available on Foxtel and Kayo, Wednesday 7 July at 7pm AEST. ORDER NOW >

Tim Tszyu in a training session ahead of his July 7th fight against Michael Zerafa. Picture: Richard DobsonSource:News Corp Australia

Zerafa earned the ire of Tszyu last week during a Main Event face-off interview when he declared he would be “Mickey Hatton” – a reference to British boxer Ricky Hatton, who ended Kostya Tszyu’s career in 2005 with a forced corner retirement, to which Tim Tszyu shot back: “Don’t talk about that fight”.

Tszyu told News Corp on Monday: “That is one thing you don’t do, mention family or past events. I’ll make sure he pays for that.”

Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa out the front of the newly named Newcastle Entertainment CentreSource:Getty Images

Tszyu is comfortable in the Steel City.

“Newcastle is the place where everything is still sweet. They are talking about having the State of Origin match here, I am here, there’s no cases at this stage, there’s no problems.

“I’ve just been training and coming back to my room. There’s people walking around with masks, you check in wherever you go, but that’s pretty standard now anyway.

“Every camp has its own challenges, but the main thing is I feel god. I’ve got myself to one of the fittest levels I’ve been at, so there are no excuses, I’m ready to go.”

Fight promoter Matt Rose said: “There is a lot of feeling around this fight, it has become personal and you saw that with Michael’s comments about Tim’s dad last week.

“So we’re going ahead with it because Australia can’t miss this. It’s the two best boxers in the country, with so much ill will between them, and the fighters are in their last week of preparation.

“If we don’t go ahead with the fight on July 7 I’m not sure we would see it again, because Tim is so close to a world title shot.

“This won’t be like State of Origin, this isn’t going to be one-sided event.

“Tim is the No.1 contender for the [WBO] world title, Zerafa is ranked No.6, they’re desperate to get at each other in the ring.”

Rose said the current restrictions across Greater Sydney had thrown up some challenges but incredibly, all fights scheduled for the card will go ahead.

“The only change is that we can only have 50 per cent of the crowd in the arena, that has been confirmed to us by government officials,” Rose said.

“The seven undercard fights, all the boys are from outside Sydney so we will be holding them all.

Tim Tszyu punches Dennis HoganSource:Getty Images

“The NRL and AFL will have eight games each they need to put on this weekend under the new restrictions, and they will do it, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to put on our one event.

“It is actually quite a unique situation. Sydney is shut down, people are stuck at home, but the two best boxers in Australia will go head-to-head next Wednesday and I can’t see a better opportunity for people to see them in action, given how important sport has become to deal with the mental aspect of dealing with lockdowns.”

Tszyu (18-0, 14KO) stopped Dennis Hogan is his previous fight to move to No.1 in the world, while Zerafa (28-4, 17KO) ended the career of Anthony Mundine in his last outing with a first-round destruction.

Super-welterweight champions Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano fight each other on July 18 to unify the division, and the winner of the Tszyu-Zerafa fight will be angling for a title fight later this year.

Originally published asTszyu-Zerafa: The fight not even Covid can stop

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