Michael Zerafa still in dark about mystery illness that left him on an IV drip in hospital

Michael Zerafa was left vomiting, unable to stand and on an IV drip in hospital after succumbing to a mystery illness which he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

A depleted Michael Zerafa has vowed to be fully fit for his July 7 showdown against Tim Tszyu despite succumbing to a mystery illness that left him on an intravenous drip in hospital this week.

Zerafa still doesn’t know what caused the severe stomach cramps and vomiting, with tests still being analysed by doctors, but it’s possible he could have a bowel infection.

The 29-year-old from Melbourne may need to return to hospital next week to have a camera tube inserted into his body, however he declared there will be no excuses when he takes on Tszyu (18-0, 14KO) at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

“The fight is seven weeks out, I’m super fit and we’re gradually coming good, I’m taking it slowly and waiting for the rest of the results to come through – hopefully it’s nothing more than what they think,” Zerafa told News Corp.

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Michael Zerafa doesn’t know what caused his mystery illness. Picture: Grant Trouville

“They said if the pain continues they want to do a gastroscopy (where an endoscope tube with a camera is used to look inside the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine).

“They’re running me on a course of antibiotics and painkillers now so we’ll see how we go. I’ve sent my tests off and just waiting for the results.

“I was extremely dehydrated, I was constantly throwing up, and I’m always on top of that because my nutrition is key. In the space of a few hours I was in the bathroom five times.

“The body is a lot better than three days ago, I was bedridden and couldn’t move I was in so much pain, I was nauseous, throwing up, couldn’t eat, I was feeling yuck, and it wasn’t from any food it was a bad stomach virus.

“The pain is still there but it’s manageable, it’s 60 per cent better than what it was two days ago.

“I wouldn’t wish this upon my worst enemy, it’s unlucky. It felt like a stitch that kept getting tighter and tighter, I couldn’t stand up straight, I had to be curled up into a ball.

“It was just under my diaphragm, the stitch pain was under my ribs, they reckon that could come because I was throwing up so much.

“There’s no damage to my ribs, I had CT scans and MRIs, everything was fine, my oxygen levels were good.”

Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa are scheduled to clash on July 7. Picture: Peter Lorimer/Getty Images

There were fears the fight would have to be scrapped when Zerafa (28-4, 17KO) failed to board a flight to Sydney on Tuesday for a promotional shoot and news spread that he was in hospital.

“For me there’s going to be no excuses, I’m not going to play that ‘seven weeks ago I had stomach issues’, it is what it is and it’s on God’s hands now,” Zerafa said.

“I’m going to resume training and keep training hard like I know Tim’s doing, and come fight night it’s going to be an awesome fight.

“What happened was I had stomach cramps at training, I finished my training then did 10 rounds on the pads, went home later that night and just started throwing up and getting really bad stomach pain.

“I didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary, my usual chicken and brown rice, I thought it may be food poisoning, we went to the hospital but it was a five-hour wait so I came home, but the pain got way worse.

“I went to John Fawkner [Private Hospital], paid the fees and got immediately looked after there, it came back as a bad stomach virus so I’m slowly coming back.

“They’re still doing tests, they said I could have an infected bowel.

“It wasn’t life-threatening but I was in no shape to be flying to Sydney and potentially throwing up on the plane and s---ing myself. I was in so much pain.

“But we’ve got ample time, seven weeks, and I’ll be more than ready.

“I’m coming good which is the main thing.”