Boxing news: Danilo Creati steps up to earn a shot at Nikita Tszyu

Daniel Creati wasn’t even thinking about getting back in the ring a few days ago. Now, he’s just a win away from earning a shot at Nikita Tszyu. Find out how it happened inside.

Danilo Creati hits the scales at Tuesday's weigh-ins. Picture: No Limit Boxing

Last Saturday, Danilo Creati was relaxing at home in Bondi with his wife and his 15 month old daughter.

He always keeps fit, but didn’t have a fight lined up, and wasn’t even thinking about stepping back in the ring for the first time since November 2022.

Watch Tim Tszyu v Sebastian Fundora on Sunday, March 31 on Main Event on Kayo. Order the fight now

Then he received a phone call from his longtime coach Tony del Vecchio.

“Tony said, ‘how are you?’ and I told him I’m good,” the Italian boxer told this masthead. “He asked what my weight is and then said, ‘Good, can you throw hands? Can you throw a few punches?’

“I told him I can throw more than a few punches, and he said, ‘Good, we’re gonna fight in three days’.”

Shortly afterwards, Creati was booked to fight dangerous Kiwi knockout artist Marcus Heywood in Wednesday night’s No Limit on Fox main event at Moore Park.

The change sees Creati replace Nathaniel ‘Cheeky’ May at the top of the card, with May dropping down the card after two opponents fell through.

A win could see Creati book a shot at Nikita Tszyu's Australian super-welterweight title. Picture: No Limit Boxing

Not only that, but if he wins, he’ll become the new front runner to fight Nikita Tszyu in ‘The Butcher’s’ April pay-per-view Australian title defence in Sydney.

“I’m always kind of ready, I’m always at about 60 per cent, but with five weeks’ notice, I can ramp up the training and bring myself to 100 per cent. That’s plenty of time,” he said of a potential quick turnaround to face Tszyu. “It won’t end up like everyone’s expecting.

“I think he might be surprised, and I love that.”

Creati (L) and Marcus Heywood (R) face off on Tuesday. Picture: No Limit Boxing.

In his last fight, Creati went a full 10 rounds with Michael Zerafa, who now fights for the WBA middleweight title on Tim Tszyu’s undercard in Las Vegas.

Since then, Creati had his first baby, and was forced to move back to Italy briefly, before coming back to Australia.

He says Tszyu, who won the Australian super-welterweight title against Dylan Biggs in November, hasn’t fought anyone on his skill level.

“Biggs is a tough fighter, but not same skills as Nikita,” he said. “I feel I have better skills.

“We’re both going to bring our A-plan. We need to adapt and there will be a lot of IQ involved in that fight.”

Creati went the distance with Michael Zerafa in 2022. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

First though, Creati must overcome the Nikita Tszyu sweepstakes curse that has hit several would-be opponents in the past three weeks.

Victorian-based Kiwi Viliami Liavaa just needed to beat Sydneysider Anton ‘The Axe Murderer’ Markovich two weeks ago to seal the deal on a fight with Tszyu.

Markovich upset those plans with a brutal second-round body shot knockout.

Koen Mazoudier then became the next likely candidate with a victory over Travis Druce on last week’s Goodman-Schleibs PPV undercard.

Nikita Tszyu scored a stoppage win over Biggs in one of the best domestic bouts of 2023. Picture: No Limit Boxing

Mazoudier even called Tszyu out in the ring, but was later forced out with a perforated eardrum.

That leaves the last-minute replacement Creati as the next cab off the rank.

“Three days ago, I wasn’t even on the card,” he said. “Literally it’s three days’ notice.

“I was training – not with the mindset of having a fight – but we’re always fit and ready.

“It’s not ideal but we’re fighters and we love those challenges.

“This is where the best comes out, in those moments of survival.”

Originally published as Boxing news: Danilo Creati steps up to earn a shot at Nikita Tszyu