Boxing 2023: Michael Zerafa to fight for a world title, sets sights on bout with rival Tim Tszyu

Michael Zerafa has clinched the biggest fight of his life and is ready to bring home a world title and set up a grudge match with a bitter Aussie rival.

Melbourne’s Michael Zerafa is primed for the biggest fight of his career with the bad boy of Australian boxing securing a world-title blockbuster in Las Vegas.

And if Zerafa comes home with the spoils, the nation’s No. 1 middleweight hopes to set up the biggest bout in Australian boxing history — a multi-belt world-title grudge match against bitter rival Tim Tszyu.

Tszyu clinched the WBO interim super welterweight world title with his defeat of Tony Harrison in Sydney last month and now arch rival Zerafa has his own shot at conquering the world.

The WBA has ordered middleweight world champion Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17KO) to fight Zerafa (31-4, 19KO) and ‘Pretty Boy’ expects to face the classy 39-year-old on American soil in early July.

The WBA has ordered Michael ‘Pretty Boy’ Zerafa to fight for their
middleweight world title after his recent defeat of Danilo Creati.

There is speculation promoters have offered Zerafa ‘step-aside’ money to allow Lara to fight Danny Garcia, but the Melburnian — ranked No. 1 by the WBA — is the mandatory challenger to the Cuban-American champion.

“We’re locked in, I’ve secured a world-title fight against Lara so ‘Pretty Boy’ is going to Vegas to shock the world,” Zerafa said.

“We are close to locking in a date, we’re expecting the fight to take place in early July at the MGM Grand in Vegas.

“All the greats of boxing have fought there, including Floyd Mayweather, so this is a fighter’s dream and all I have to do now is wrap that world-title belt around my waist.

“This will be the biggest moment of my career — I’ll be ready.”

By virtue of his No. 2 ranking with the IBF and No. 1 slot with the WBA, Zerafa had two options to chase his world-title dream.

Zerafa’s opponent, WBA world champion Erislandy Lara (right), has not been stopped in 35 fights.

The initial option was to take on Brazil’s unbeaten Esquiva Falcao (30-0) for the IBF middleweight crown.

News Corp understands a fight was all-but locked in for Wednesday, April 26 in Melbourne, but the Zerafa camp walked away at the eleventh hour and opted to chase a more lucrative payday with Lara.

There is a view Zerafa is crazy for knocking back a world-title fight with Falcao in his hometown.

Lara is considered a much more dangerous opponent — he lost a split decision to Mexican legend Canelo Alvarez in 2014 and has never been stopped in 35 fights — but Zerafa says it’s proof he fears nobody.

“I had to come to a decision between Falcao or Lara and I chose the harder fight overseas,” Zerafa said.

“People say I run from a fight, that I was scared of Tim Tszyu … well Lara is a much better fighter than Tszyu and I’ve chosen to fight him, so this proves I’m scared of no-one.

“He is very dangerous. Lara has fought the best and beaten world champions. He is very crafty, a rangy southpaw who comes to fight.

“We’ve already had words back and forth on social media. He has promised to knock me out, so that only makes me hungrier.

“He is just another boxer who thinks he will knock me out and he‘s another guy who will learn the hard way.”

Zerafa is keen for an Australian super fight with his bitter foe Tim Tszyu.

Zerafa’s wish is that he beats Lara and Tszyu steals all the belts from undisputed super welterweight king Jermell Charlo later this year.

That would set up the mouth-watering prospect of Zerafa and Tszyu going toe-to-toe for five world-title straps in an Australian super bout that would settle their long-running feud.

“It would be huge if me and Tim fought for world titles,” he said.

“Tim is doing his thing and I’m doing mine, but if I win this world title and he beats Charlo, then we can unify and have the biggest ever fight in Australian boxing history.

“The winners would be the Australian fight fans: me versus Tim Tszyu for multiple world titles … it doesn’t get any bigger than that.

“Tim is talking about going up to heavyweight to win a world title, so I don’t think he will have any problems coming up to my division to try and get a world title.

“He can step up to my weight and the world titles will be waiting for him.

“People think I don’t have a career without Tim Tszyu, but I now have my own world-title shot.

“We don’t care about each other really, but if we both win world titles, then it makes sense for two Aussie champions to fight.”

Originally published as Boxing 2023: Michael Zerafa to fight for a world title, sets sights on bout with rival Tim Tszyu