Michael Zerafa says he is ready to rule the world as he unloads on bitter rival Tim Tszyu for being outsmarted by Jermell Charlo

Tim Tszyu was hoping to conquer America but instead it’s Michael Zerafa going to the Land of Opportunity as he ramps-up plans to become Australia’s next world champion.

Tim Tszyu has declared America is the land he wants to conquer.

Instead, his bitter rival Michael Zerafa has beaten Tszyu to the punch, with the ‘Pretty Boy’ heading to America this week as he begins the first step towards becoming Australia’s next boxing world champion.

While Tszyu’s unification blockbuster against Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas has collapsed after the American’s bombshell decision to fight Saul ’Canelo’ Alvarez, Zerafa’s carefully constructed world-title strategy remains intact.

The Melbourne middleweight will touch down in Los Angeles to begin preparations for his first overseas fight in five years as a co-main on the Danny Garcia-Erislandy Lara world-title blockbuster in New York on August 26.

Michael Zerafa heads to America this week to ramp-up his fight preparations in Los Angeles.

Zerafa, as mandatory challenger, was originally scheduled to face Lara for the WBA middleweight world title, but agreed to take ‘step-aside’ money to allow US promoters to stage a Garcia-Lara showdown.

Under the terms of the step-aside deal, the winner of the Garcia-Lara bout must face Zerafa within 120 days, guaranteeing the Australian a shot at the WBA world title by late December.

Tszyu (23-0, 17KO) has slammed Zerafa (31-4, 19KO) as a coward for accepting step-aside cash, but the WBA‘s No.1-ranked middleweight says the next five months, starting with his camp in Laguna Beach, is part of a deliberate plan to conquer the world.

“It’s my time to win a world title,” said Zerafa ahead of his departure to the US.

“I’m about to head to America for a seven-week camp. All my sparring is lined up and we’re finalising an opponent in the next few weeks.

Zerafa says Tim Tszyu’s first-round mauling of Mexico’s Carlos Ocampo was embarrassing. Picture: No Limit Boxing

“I’ve told my manager I want a world-ranked opponent, I don’t want the type of bum that Tim Tszyu fought when he beat (Carlos) Ocampo in the first round, which was embarrassing for him.

“For some reason, there seems to be a lot of hate and adversity for me in Australia, but I will fight soon for a world title and when I win it, I will be the true king of Australian boxing.”

It is exactly two years since Zerafa sensationally withdrew just days out from his Australian super fight with Tszyu, sparking bad blood between the pair that continues to simmer.

On the eve of his Ocampo victory three weeks ago, Tszyu said Zerafa’s decision to take step-aside money typifies his lack of courage, but the 31-year-old says he plays boxing politics better than the son of Kostya.

“It was a business decision,” said Zerafa, who last fought in November, beating Danilo Creati in Sydney.

“My manager said, ‘Let’s do the right thing and the WBA will look after us’ and that’s what happened.

“Financially, they looked after us and I will fight the winner of Lara versus Garcia for a world title.

“At least I was smart enough to get paid and now I get another four months to prepare for my world-title shot.

Zerafa came of age with his stunning upset of Jeff Horn in Bendigo in 2019.

“What has Tszyu got? F*** all.

“He wants to bag me for taking step-aside money, but Charlo gave him nothing and now look what‘s happened, Tszyu has been dudded completely.

“Everyone wants to go on about Tszyu being the risk taker, but I will risk it all and actually fight someone decent.

“I want a worthy world-class opponent, not a bum like Ocampo who had two left feet and lasted 70 seconds.

“Interim champions mean nothing.

“Technically, I can say I am an interim world champion but it‘s a lot of crap. It’s a mock world title. Tszyu is walking around like he has conquered the world, but he’s won nothing yet.

“Tim Tszyu has a lot of people fooled, but he won‘t fool me.”

In Zerafa‘s last fight on American soil in 2015, he was belted by Peter Quillin in a fifth-round stoppage. But the Maltese mauler insists that, at 31, he is now physically and mentally ready for a world-title shot.

“I was a kid when I fought Quillin, now I‘m a much more mature fighter,” Zerafa said.

“Lara and Garcia are great fighters but they are getting older and stylistically I can beat them.

“I am the bigger fighter, I am stronger and longer.

“Lara is now 40 and I‘m nearly 32 with 35 fights, so I’m at the peak of my powers ... this is the right time for me to shock the world and bring home the gold to Australia.”

Originally published as Michael Zerafa says he is ready to rule the world as he unloads on bitter rival Tim Tszyu for being outsmarted by Jermell Charlo