‘I feel sorry for him’: Tszyu moved to post classy video after Zerafa backlash goes ‘too far’

Fierce criticism of Michael Zerafa has prompted former Australian world champion Tim Tszyu to release a shock yet classy show of support for the Melbourne boxer, saying he “feels sorry” for Zerafa after copping backlash that has “gone too far”.

Tszyu’s brother, Nikita, was left feeling numb on Friday night after his hyped Australian grudge match against Zerafa – arguably the biggest moment of his undefeated professional career yet – was called off at the end of the second round due to a cut over his eyebrow.

Chaos erupted inside Brisbane Entertainment Centre as fans threw cans and cups into the ring, hurled abuse and booed as Tszyu and Zerafa’s teams had heated conversations before the “no result” was announced.

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Tim Tszyu was involved in a fiery exchange with Zerafa inside the ring then told Main Event he didn’t “understand the cowardly act”, adding: “He felt a little bit of adversity and instead of rising up to the occasion he just said, ‘Nah, I can’t see’. It’s bizarre. It’s really bizarre. I’m very surprised. It just proves the whole thing about him not rocking up to fight me.”

More criticism towards Zerafa then followed, with a host of Australia’s biggest fight names having come out firing against Zerafa, while promoter No Limit is prepared to slap a life ban on Zerafa.

But the outrage directed towards Zerafa moved Tim Tszyu to release a classy video on his Instagram page.

“I never thought I’d be making this video, especially about someone that I’ve had so much anger towards,” Tszyu said in a video.

“I think it was a big build up, five years in the making. At the time of the event, the emotions were high, the animosity was there and I was angry. I was really, really angry – just because of the fact that my brother’s moment got taken away from him.

“At first, I was part of this whole backlash. But I think we’ve gone a step too far. I think over the last few days, just watching it from the outside, we have gone too far.

“And at some point, I think it becomes not about boxing anymore. We don’t deserve to be torn apart like this as human beings. It’s not the way we’re brought up in the sport and words can push people to really dark places.

“I never thought that this day would ever come, but I do feel sorry for Michael. I do feel sorry for him.

“We are fighters, but at the same time, we’re all human beings.”

It comes as the referee at the centre of the Zerafa-Tszyu no-contest fight defended his decision, while also making a stunning claim about the pre-fight rules meeting.

“This very issue (of a head cut) came up in the rules meeting,” Condon told CODE Sports.

“I was asked by Michael Zerafa’s partner (Selin) what would happen if there was a cut … who would stop the fight, and I said me, as the referee, would stop the fight.

“I was shocked.

“I have never had that question asked to me in my career before at a rules meeting and I’ve done hundreds of fights.”

Zerafa issued a cryptic apology while also doubling down on the injury’s legitimacy.