‘That was a disgrace’: Fury as Tszyu calls out Zerafa’s ‘cowardly’ act and exposes ugly ‘truth’

It has been labelled the moment that will be “talked about forever in Australian boxing history”.

Now Michael Zerafa’s chance to finally upstage one of the Tszyu brothers has been throw into turmoil after claiming “I can’t see” due to a cut on his left eye.

In Zerafa’s bout with Nikita Tszyu on Friday night, the ‘bad boy’ of Australian boxing suffered a laceration after a head clash between the pair.

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At the end of the second round, the doctor called a stop to the fight, which ended in a no result — a decision that left the Brisbane Entertainment Crowd furious.

“It’s blurry, I can’t see. I can’t see,” Zerafa said before the fight was stopped.

The 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.

“This is an extraordinary moment… this crowd is furious. This will be a moment that is talked about forever in Australian boxing history. Extraordinary. Unbelievable,” Ben Damon said.

Zerafa claimed post-fight he never said he was unable to see, instead claiming he only said his vision was “blurry”.

“I don’t know why everyone was booing me, I didn’t stop it, the doctor stopped it,” Zerafa said, going on to call for a re-match.

“I said it was blurry but it’s all good, lets go.”

No Limit’s George Rose issued an apology to the furious fans post-fight, saying: “First and foremost I’d like to apologise to all the great fans who turned up here tonight.

“To everybody who tuned in tonight who wanted to see this one, I do apologise sincerely to you all.”

He was also asked if Zerafa will be given a re-match with Tszyu: “Ask me this question… look, we will talk about it tomorrow.”

As for The Courier Mail’s Pete Badel, he made his opinions clear after Zerafa left the ring.

“I’ve got to be honest, maybe I am just riled up, but that was a disgrace. That was a disgrace, Michael Zerafa has a lot to answer for,” Badel said.

“The doctor would not stop that fight if ‘Mick’ Zerafa said ‘I can see’. The mixed messaging is a disgrace, this has just ruined what has shaped as one of the great blockbuster fights in Australian boxing history.

“After this I don’t think Zerafa will ever appear on a No Limit card ever again.”

Badel then recounted Zerafa’s history of controversial moments throughout his boxing career.

“With Michael Zerafa, chaos always surrounds him, why did he pull out of the Tim Tszyu fight five years ago?” he said.

“Even before the Isaac Hardman fight that he won, he rung the combat sports authority of Victoria the night before and said he had an injury.

“They said they wanted to see X-rays to prove it, then his trainer said ‘we are not pulling out of the fight on fight eve’.

“These things always happen with Zerafa… look at that knick, that is not the type of cut that stops a fight.”

Shawn Porter then added: “It’s not bad at all… I can assure you he is regretful of what he did.

“There’s no way to explain it, compare a cut like that to a cut like that between (Sebastian) Fundora and Tim Tszyu.”

Nikita Tszyu then joined the panel after he left the ring, with vision being shown proven Zerafa said he was unable to see to the doctor.

“That was annoying… he said it, the doctor said it to me and the referee said it as well. What can you do,” Tszyu said.

“I’m honestly lost for words.

“He saw the opening to escape, but he took the first route out. Yeah it’s a cut, yeah it’s on the eye. Is it a need for him? Did he really want this fight?

“He has been calling for it for so long and then he took the early exit… as soon as the head clash happened I could see him panicking a bit.

“But this is boxing, you get cuts, look at my brother… what I think happened is that he undestimated me. I noticed when I landed that first jab on him in the first round, he went ‘oh, how did he land that one me’.”

Tim Tszyu also stepped in post-fight, and he delivered a damning assessment of Zerafa’s act — and recalling his own issues with Zerafa five years ago.

“I just don’t understand the cowardly act. I heard the doctor went like that (holds hand up to eye) and he went ‘I can’t see, I can’t see’ three times,” he explained.

“I feel like that type of answer shouldn’t come out of a boxer… when you get hit and you know how he said I don’t want to do this anymore, it’s exactly what he went through.

“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.

“That’s the truth. He pulled out one week before my fight and I stayed staunch about, ‘No. I’m not going to give him the opportunity. I’m not going to give him the opportunity’.”

Tim Tszyu also made it clear whether he believes Zerafa deserves a second fight against his brother.

“They fed him my little brother, who has only had 10 fights. I don’t believe Zerafa deserves the chance to fight Nikita again,” he explained.

“I feel like as fighters and boxers, if a doctor ever says the question ‘Can you see?’ the automatic response is ‘yes, yes’… I remember the Fundora fight, every time the doctor said ‘can you see?’ I said, ‘Of course I can see’.

“There was never a thought in my mind I was going to say no I can’t see. We live and die in this sport… at least go out on your shield.

“For Zerafa, he needs to just relax things down. He’s going to get a lot of hatred. He’s just got to be able to handle it. Zerafa is done. He shouldn’t be on Fox Sports ever again.”