Nikita Tszyu has branded Michael Zerafa “a bitch” who quit when faced with adversity in Australia’s biggest boxing grudge match this decade, declaring: “He took the first exit he could find”.
It comes as both Tszyu and his longtime manager Glen Jennings have stressed Zerafa will almost certainly never get the rematch he is already chasing – while No Limit boss George Rose has also admitted to being “p***ed off” with the latest chaos surrounding his most controversial client.
Elsewhere, Nikita has also likened Zerafa demanding Friday night’s headliner be stopped to his previously quitting a 2021 showdown against older brother and former world champion, Tim Tszyu.
“And now he’s f***ed it for both of us,” ‘The Butcher’ said.
Elsewhere, Nikita suggested Zerafa was not only “cursed”, but almost certainly suffering PTSD from his biggest career losses – including the night he was stretchered from a US ring after being kayoed by big punching American Peter Quillin 11 years ago.
On what was supposed to be the biggest night of his undefeated professional career, 27-year-old Tszyu has been left feeling “numb” after Zerafa had the fight called off at the third round due to a cut over his eyebrow.
Despite telling the crowd afterwards that he had wanted to continue, ringside physician Dr Alan Saunders told Fox Sports Australia that Zerafa twice told him “I can’t see”, causing the fight to be halted – a story confirmed by Main Event fight footage.
TSZYU: ZERAFA QUIT
After initially being cut on the eyebrow from a head clash, Zerafa was motioned by referee Chris Condon to get a doctor’s assessment at the start of the third round, which is when the fighter twice suggested he couldn’t see.
As a result, Dr Saunders had no option but to call the fight off.
Yet as understandably irate fans then rained boos and bottles onto the ring inside Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Zerafa told them he hadn’t wanted the fight stopped at all – and had only suggested his vision was blurry.
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Zerafa explodes in WILD post fight rant | 03:24
Yet when asked by Fox Sports Australia after the fight if Zerafa had quit, Tszyu had no doubts, while also accusing his rival of still suffering PTSD from previous big stoppage losses.
Asked if he thought Zerafa had quit, Nikita replied: “I definitely do.
“He underestimated me.
“And so once the cut happened, there was a bit of PTSD coming through.
“His emotions got the better of him and he started to panic.
“It’s some of the stuff Paulie Malignaggi had been criticising him over.
“He doesn’t have the heart.
“He’s checked out.
“Once that little bit of pain comes in, he looks for the exit straight away.”
‘HE’S SUFFERING PTSD’
Rather than being impeded by the cut on his eyebrow, Tszyu suggested Zerafa was suffering trauma from some of the biggest losses of his career – including a brutal KO defeat to WBO middleweight king Erislandy Lara.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia in fight week, Nikita also argued his rival had never recovered from being knocked out and stretchered from the ring by Quillin 11 years ago.
Asked if Friday night’s chaos was another example of the Quillin trauma reappearing, Tszyu replied: “I wouldn’t say it’s directly from that fight.
“But every fight has had some sort of impact on him.
“The big one was Lara as well.
“He was flatlined within two rounds and looked like s*** in that situation.
“And that’s a hard one to come back from.”
‘I didn’t stop it’ Zerafa | 00:59
HE’S A BITCH
Elsewhere, Nikita didn’t hold been when asked his thoughts about big brother Tim, when interviewed immediately after the fight, having branded Zerafa a bitch
“Bitch, times two,” Nikita replied.
And as for how he was feeling in the moments immediately after the fight was called off?
“Spewing,” Tszyu continued.
“I didn’t think [the cut] was that bad.
“It’s a shame.
“I haven’t fully heard the replays, but I’m being told the referee said ‘if you can’t see then we’re going to have to stop this’. And he agreed.
“So what can you do? What can you do Michael?
“He took the first exit he could find.”
Tim Tszyu clashes with Zerafa post fight | 00:24
2021 WALKOUT ALL OVER AGAIN
Nikita also likened the drama to when Zerafa famously walked out on a domestic blockbuster against older brother Tim almost five years ago.
In fact, the undefeated star suggested that, while waiting in the dressing room, and hearing that Zerafa was late to arrive, he already began fearing the worst.
“I was s****ing myself,” the fighter conceded. “[Thinking] that he wasn’t going to rock up to the fight.
“He came late to the arena, too.
“I was thinking ‘f***, don’t do this man’.”
Later, Tszyu continued: “I’m numb.
“But my brother and I have something in common now: He’s f***ed it for both of us.
“[Laughs] At least I got two rounds out of it … I’ve got that one up on Tim.”
Tszyu also said that given he and Zerafa had orthodox versus southpaw styles, his rival should have known a clash of heads was likely.
“Our stances get head clashes all the time,” Tszyu said.
“It’s part of the business.
“That’s why I shave my head. So it’s easier to get to the cut if there is one.”
“Took the first exit!” Nikita reacts | 05:45
REMATCH IS OFF
When it was suggested by Fox Sports Australia afterwards that it would be almost impossible to have the Australian sports public buy into a rematch, both Nikita and Jennings nodded in agreement.
“I think you’re dead right,” Jennings said.
“Because wherever Michael goes there is drama.
“You get the opportunity to have a legacy fight and it falls like that? What can you do?
“It’s completely taken out of our hands.
“There is part of me right now that feels like saying ‘we’re done, we’re moving on’.”
On the issue of Australians not wanting a rematch now, Tszyu added “yeah, that’s what I’m thinking”.
Later, Jennings continued: “It’s gut wrenching.
“Where else are we going to get a five-year build up to a fight? And between two families, with two brothers involved?
“All of these things came together on the perfect night, in front of the perfect audience, and someone chose to just stop it.”
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WILL ZERAFA BE PUNTED FROM NO LIMIT?
Elsewhere, Rose refused to be drawn on whether Zerafa would be cut from the promotion following a run of dramas that also included his brother storming the ring and punching a rival trainer.
“So what is it in the US?” a clearly shattered Rose shrugged. “Three strikes and it’s life?
“But, look, I don’t want to answer that right now.
“It’s too early, too fresh.
“Rewind an hour and think about how everyone was feeling?
“That’s why I can’t speak on what will happen just yet.
“I was pissed off.
“But I wanted to bite my tongue and not say anything I’d regret.
“I also don’t question any man who steps into the ring.
“I’m not a fighter myself.
“So the way that people feel about Michael’s action’s tonight, that is up to the fighter to speak about.”
“I was getting a groove. I was still figuring him out.
“He was also figuring me out.
“It was still the early stages of the fight and we hadn’t fully got into it.”
NAS & Burgess clash post fight! | 00:16
WHAT IS NEXT FOR NIKITA?
Um, carpentry.
At least, most immediately.
“I want to build a sofa in my backyard,” Tszyu said. “I’ll need two weeks for that.”
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