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Herald Sun
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
'Payback's coming': Nikita Tszyu ignites Zerafa boxing rivalry
Don't miss out on the headlines from Boxing/MMA. Followed categories will be added to My News. Nikita Tszyu has reignited the ugly feud between his family and Michael Zerafa, promising to retire the Melbourne boxer when they finally meet face-to-face in a domestic blockbuster. Not normally one for trash talk, Nikita is understood to have grown increasingly sick of seeing Zerafa mention his family's name in the media and is taking a stand. Zerafa has had a long-running rivalry with Tim Tszyu, dating back to their cancelled 2021 showdown in Newcastle, but Nikita has been dragged into the drama over the last two years. Just over a week out from his long-awaited comeback against Lulzim Ismaili in Sydney on August 20, Nikita has taken aim at Zerafa once more, calling him fake and using the Tszyu name to stay relevant. Zerafa fights American Mikey Dahlman on the Tszyu-Ismaili undercard, and as recently as last week claimed that Nikita would beat his older brother in a fight. It has been less than a month since Tim's knockout loss to Sebastian Fundora, which was his third defeat in four fights. Tszyu is sick of Zerafa. Pictures: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous If they both win next week, Tszyu and Zerafa could meet later in the year, while Sydney's Brock Jarvis is also in the mix for a fight with one of them. Zerafa sent Tim a classy message in the hours after 'The Soul Taker's loss to Fundora in July, but Nikita says it's an act, and hit out at Zerafa pulling out of his 2021 bout against Tim. 'Zerafa is a chameleon. Changes his colours whenever it suits his need for recognition,' he said. 'Right now, it's 'nice guy', but deep down, he's still the bloke who talked big then ran from Tim. 'He'll carry that forever. The only cure for that is for me to retire him.' Zerafa is adamant he wants to fight Tim rather than Nikita, but 'The Butcher' believes he just uses any opportunity to say their name to keep himself in the headlines. 'I can't wait for the day he's silenced,' he said. 'No more bullshit, no more stories, no more mentions of Tszyu. Zerafa stopped the experienced Besir Ay in March. Pictures: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous 'To be honest… no more Zerafa. That's a day I'm planning for. 'You can't hide from your history. You can try and convince the world it never happened – but I'll make sure it catches up with you. 'Payback's coming. 'He's had plenty to say about my family just to stay relevant in boxing. 'Without the Tszyu name, Zerafa doesn't exist. His day is coming, and retribution is near.' Zerafa lost a middleweight world title fight against Erislandy Lara on the same card as Tim's first loss to Fundora in 2024. He returned with a bizarre win over Tommy Browne, before stopping Besir Ay in Sydney in March. 'Nikita's doing his thing, and he's gotta earn his stripes a little bit,' he told Code Sports. 'He's doing great things, but to say that I'll be fighting him is a bit of a kick in the teeth. 'He's doing his thing, I'm doing my thing, and my goal is to be a world champion. The fight that never happened. Picture:'The fight with Tim, that's always something in the cupboard for a rainy day – it's a big money fight – but I'm not gonna keep pushing and pushing for it. 'If it happens, it happens.' In response, Nikita labelled Zerafa 'delusional' for thinking he could still land a fight with Tim. 'I kind of feel sorry for him sometimes,' Tszyu told Code Sports. 'He's just seeking approval and attention. 'I feel sorry for him for that mindset he has and how he feels like he's been wronged. 'But then I look at his face and I'm like, 'Nah, screw that guy, I don't feel sorry for him'. 'The fact that he thinks that he's ever fighting Tim again is hilarious. That's not a chance. 'Not a bloody chance. 'He's just completely delusional. He thinks he knows everything.' Originally published as 'Retribution is near': Nikita Tszyu launches wild attack at Michael Zerafa
Mercury
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mercury
Tszyu vs Fundora fight: Fight week explodes over fresh lying claims as Tszyu says Fundora hits like a ‘cheese stick'
Don't miss out on the headlines from Boxing/MMA. Followed categories will be added to My News. Tim Tszyu says he's ready to die in the ring as 'The Soul Taker' promises an all-out war in his personal revenge mission against Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas this weekend. With allegations, sledges and criticism flying back and forth, Tszyu also said Fundora has no power, comparing his punches to getting hit by 'a cheese stick.' Fight week turned suddenly tense in Las Vegas just days out from the highly anticipated rematch, with wild claims and accusations of lying being thrown between the two camps. Fundora listens to Tszyu speaking at the press conference. Picture: No Limit boxing After weeks of arguing about how bad the cut over Tszyu's eye was in their first bout, the latest flashpoint comes as Fundora denied he had a broken nose in their first bout. 'No one broke my nose,' Fundora said. 'I blew my nose and it swelled up a little bit, but a week later we were fine.' Tszyu laughs at that suggestion. 'He knows what happened,' the Aussie told Code Sports. 'He was ruled out for seven months. 'Seven months and it's not broken? Come on, man. Tszyu then zeroed in on Fundora's team too, including promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who Tszyu labelled 'The Weasel' last year. 'I don't know why they're lying – I don't know who's lying – it must be his dad,' he said. 'Or Sampson, who knows? 'We all saw it, he had blood pissing down his nose, he was breathing from his mouth. It's just facts.' Fundora speaks at this week's presser. Picture: Esther Lin With both men promising a war, Tszyu has also attacked Fundora's lack of power. 'It's weird, man, it's, like, stringy,' he said of Fundora's punches. 'It's not impactful or heavy. 'It's like a cheese stick constantly whipping you. 'I wasn't intimidated by him. I remember feeling his power and being in shock, thinking 'Is that it?'' With tension between the camps rising nearly as high as the 40-plus degree days in Las Vegas, Tszyu is hell bent on revenge. So much so that he says he doesn't even care about the WBC world title that will be on the line at the MGM Grand on Saturday. 'It's not just about the belt,' he said. 'It's more about Fundora for me. 'Belts come and go, you can move up divisions, you lose belts and win them. 'But to beat someone who you've had a history with in the past and to re-write history, that's the bigger chapter.' 'Like a cheese stick whipping you'. Picture: Esther Lin Tszyu is willing to go to any lengths to avenge the first defeat of his professional career. 'When I hop into the ring, I come in with the mentality I'm going to die in the ring,' he said. 'Sometimes that's a problem. 'I'm in there until the very end. If it means you get knocked out, you get knocked out. But you get back up. 'We wish our partners, we wish our family, we say our goodbyes and step in the ring and risk our lives.' In Fundora, Tszyu has the perfect dance partner, but the Aussie reminded the 197cm tall American of a common opponent they share. In April 2023, Fundora was beaten in a savage seventh round knockout by Brian Mendoza. Fundora was winning the fight, but was flattened by a big right hand, and never looked close to beating the count. Six months later, Tszyu scored a one-sided decision win over Mendoza on the Gold Coast. And 'The Soul Taker' says Fundora is still scarred by his one and only KO defeat. 'He was saying about my PTSD (from his loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev), but I feel like he's got PTSD with the Mendoza fight,' he said. 'I feel like he still thinks about it. 'To be knocked out cold like that, it takes a lot out of you. Even though I was stopped against Bakhram, I made sure I got back up each time. 'He wasn't up. He was gone.' The Mendoza knockout is why Tszyu doesn't think Fundora will fully engage in a firefight on fight night. 'He's got it in him, but will he do it though?' he asked Code Sports. 'Will he come and push the action? Will he come and try to close it off? 'He'll come on in spurts, but he'll be thinking, 'I don't want the same thing that happened with Brian Mendoza', so he'll back off. 'But if he wants to come to papa, I'll welcome him with open arms.' Originally published as Fight week explodes over fresh lying claims as Tszyu says Fundora hits like a 'cheese stick'
