‘No option’: Jeff Fenech’s Les Boyd blow up as Marrickville Mauler calls for harshest penalty possible for Michael Zerafa’s brother, trainer hit issues statement

BRENDAN BRADFORD and PHIL ROTHFIELD reveal the fallout from Wednesday night’s disgraceful post-fight fracas between the Zerafa and Browne teams, with the trainer hit in the fracas releasing a statement and Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech has his say on the matter.

Tommy Mercuri (l) is struck by Michael Zerafa’s brother Jason post-fight. Picture: No Limit Boxing.

The Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales has no option but to hit Michael Zerafa’s brother, Jason, with the harshest penalty possible.

That’s the view of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech, whose own fighter Hass Hamdan copped a whopping three year ban for throwing a water bottle towards an official while sitting ringside at a fight last year.

Fenech says Combat Sports must come down hard after Hamdan was rubbed out for three years of his career and lost tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorships.

DAILY TELEGRAPH – 31/7/24 Champion Australian boxer, Jeff Fenech, pictured at home in Five Dock today. today. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Hass threw a plastic bottle and it didn’t even hit anyone,” Fenech, who was sitting ringside at the fights, told this masthead. “This guy (Zerafa’s brother) should get 30 years.

“Or life.

“I’m not saying I’m wanting that to happen – he was just there helping his brother – but these are the comparisons.

“Les Boyd broke Darryl Brohman’s jaw in half, and he got a year. But Hass Hamdan throws a plastic bottle and gets three years? Come on.”

Former Queensland Origin forward Darryl Brohman slammed the induction of ex-NSW and Kangaroos forward Les Boyd into the NRL Hall of Fame.

Fenech said Zerafa escalated the situation by yelling at Browne in the first place, and that the Combat Sports Authority has a lot to answer for.

“I love Michael, but he did something he shouldn’t have done when someone’s legitimately injured,” he said. “It happens in boxing with the press conferences and people get heated, but at the end of the fight, win or lose, you go over to congratulate your opponent and give them a hug.

“So, I think that escalated it.

“Then, Tommy Mercuri did what any trainer would do and stuck up for his boy, and Zerafa’s brother did what any brother would do as well.

“So it comes back to the authority for letting all those people in the corner.

“The people who should be accountable are the Combat Sports. This is the worst run sport in Australia. The worst.”

Trainer hit by Zerafa’s brother issues statement

Tommy Browne’s trainer, Tommy Mercuri, has issued a statement following Wednesday night’s shocking post-fight melee, hitting out at rumours and “misleading” videos shared to social media.

Mercuri was punched in the jaw by Michael Zerafa’s brother after a spiteful co-main event.

“To the individual who punched me: you aggressively caught me off guard, and your attempt still didn’t dismantle me,” he wrote. “People saying they’d stand up for their brother too should understand that I was standing up for my fighter, just as anyone in my position would.”

Mercuri hammered Zerafa for igniting the volatile situation by yelling at Browne.

Melee ensues post the Michael Zerafa fight on the main card of Tszyu-Mazoudier. Picture: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous

“As for Michael’s actions, approaching our corner to taunt Tommy, prior to the video, was uncalled for,” he said. “As his trainer, I did what any trainer would do: I repeatedly told him to return to his corner.

“For those suggesting that I intended to hit him, it’s clear they didn’t see that my hands were open the entire time.”

The trainer denied rumours Browne entered the fight with a pre-existing injury.

“I want to address the misinformation that’s been circulating on social media, in particular the video shared on No Limits social media account on Wednesday 28 August,” Mercuri wrote.

“What’s been publicly shared doesn’t reflect the full reality of what happened during the fight in the lead up to that clip and I feel it’s important to clear up the actual truth.

“I want to address how misleading it is for No Limits to share only part of the video from the fight. Tommy suffered a complete bicep tear — this was not a pre-existing injury. We entered this fight fully prepared and 100% ready.”

Zerafa forced into hotel switch as brother hit with life ban

- EXCLUSIVE

Event organisers took Michael Zerafa to a different hotel on Wednesday night due to safety concerns following a wild-post fight melee.

Zerafa and his team had been staying at the Novotel in Darling Harbour during fight week, along with every other fighter on the card.

But this masthead can reveal that the concerns over Zerafa’s safety were high enough that he was taken directly from the ICC Sydney Theatre to a different hotel.

In shocking scenes after the co-main event, Zerafa’s brother was booted from the venue when he punched Tommy Browne’s trainer, Tommy Mercuri in the mouth.

Jason Zerafa, Michael’s brother, has been now issued a life ban by No Limit for his actions.

Zerafa jumped into the ring and threw a punch at rival trainer, Tommy Mercuri, after Browne had retired with a torn biceps after the first round of their co-main event bout on the No Limit boxing card.

Tommy Mercuri (l) is struck by Michael Zerafa’s brother Jason post fight. Picture: Grant Trouville

In a statement issued to this masthead on Thursday, No Limit Boxing confirmed it would ban Jason Zerafa from all future events.

“No Limit Boxing confirmed today it had issued a life ban to the brother of Michael Zerafa following last night’s unacceptable incident in Sydney,” the statement read.

“He will be barred from attending all No Limit Boxing events in future. The Combat Sports Authority of NSW have been informed of the decision ahead of any additional disciplinary they may elect to proceed with.”

George Rose of No Limit Boxing said: “What happened last night is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any of our events.”

Security at Darling Harbour’s International Conference Centre immediately removed Jason Zerafa from the venue after the incident as tempers flared outside the boxers’ dressing room.

The spiteful build-up to the bout kicked off on Sunday when Browne told this masthead Zerafa “quit” during his world title fight against Erislandy Lara in Las Vegas in March.

Zerafa then taunted Browne for being unable to continue when the 41-year-old ring veteran tore his biceps off the bone in the first round.

Michael Zerafa and Tom Browne post fight. Picture: No Limit Boxing.

Mercuri jumped in the ring and remonstrated with Zerafa, before ‘The Pretty Boy’s’ brother Jason punched the trainer in the face.

Zerafa’s brother was immediately punted from the ICC Sydney Theatre, and the rest of his team was asked to leave shortly afterwards.

But instead of heading back to the fighter hotel at Darling Harbour, Zerafa was taken to a different hotel because of security concerns in the aftermath of the disgraceful incident.

Zerafa stayed at the new hotel on Wednesday night, before travelling back to Melbourne as scheduled on Thursday morning.

Zerafa’s adviser, Glenn Rushton, said there was widespread confusion in the corner in the moments after the fight was called off.

Michael Zerafa took to Instagram to defend his brother.

Zerafa insists the fracas was instigated by Browne’s team.

“It was all okay until Jason crossed the line by throwing a punch,” Rushton told this masthead on Thursday morning. “Michael said Jason thought Mercuri was about to punch Michael as he was pushing Michael and waving his arms at him.

“It was just complete pandemonium.

“Jason obviously should never have done what he did. All the banter, that wasn’t a problem.

“But you don’t get in and punch the other guy’s trainer. You just don’t do that. So I certainly can’t condone that at all.”

Rushton immediately apologised to Browne and Mercuri in the ring, and sent a follow-up message to the Browne camp on Thursday morning.

Tommy Mercuri confronted Michael Zerafa post fight. Pictures: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous

The former trainer of world champion Jeff Horn, Rushton doesn’t know whether his association with Zerafa will continue beyond this fight.

“I was only ever bought on as an adviser and spokesperson, so I wouldn’t call myself his trainer,” he said. “We’d have to negotiate that if he wants to extend it.

“He asked me to be in his corner because his trainer, Nonito Donaire, wasn’t coming out for it.

“He’s gotta make a decision whether he’s serious about beating Nikita Tszyu. If he is then it depends on what advice he wants.

“But there’s a lot of things that need to be done if he wants to beat Nikita.

“I was bought in as an adviser, and he needs a steady hand, but there’s no way that Jason will be back in his corner if I’m there, that’s for sure.”

Originally published as ‘No option’: Jeff Fenech’s Les Boyd blow up as Marrickville Mauler calls for harshest penalty possible for Michael Zerafa’s brother, trainer hit issues statement