Michael Zerafa pulls out of fight with Tim Tszyu

One of the most anticipated sporting events of the year has been cancelled after Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa couldn’t see eye to eye.

Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa’s much anticipated fight has been cancelled after Zerafa withdrew due to Covid-19 health and safety concerns. (Photo by Peter Lorimer/Getty Images)

One of the most anticipated sporting events of the year has been cancelled, with the much-publicised fight between Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa on 7 July called off due to Covid-19 concerns.

Zerafa, who is based in Melbourne, raised concerns about the health and safety of the fight.

The Zerafa camp had opted not to travel to Newcastle, where the bout was due to be held, after the latest Covid-19 outbreaks in NSW.

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The decision at least temporarily takes the gas out of the rivalry between Tszyu and Zerafa, which had been heating up over the past few months.

Tszyyu’s promoters had attempted to ease Zerafa’s concerns to get the fight to proceed.

However, even with the halving of the venue’s capacity to 3000 people and NSW Health’s approval of the event, Team Zerafa refused to budge and said they wouldn’t come to Newcastle.

Melbourne-based Michael Zerafa wasn’t happy with the health and safety of holding the fight with Tim Tszyu in Newcastle. (Photo by Peter Lorimer/Getty Images)

A replacement has been named to fight Tszyu in Zerafa’s absence.

Queensland’s Stevie Spark has stepped in and will take on Tszyu next Wednesday night.

“I’m a fighter and fighters fight. I’m fit and I’m ready and I’m coming to Newcastle to win,” Spark said.

“I like challenges and life is about taking risks,” he said, adding: “With no risk there is no reward.

“I’ve dreamed about fighting Tim Tszyu and obviously this has come a little bit quicker than I expected, but that’s a good thing.

“This is Cinderella Man, this is Rocky, this is my golden ticket.”

“Credit to Steve for taking this fight,” Tszyu said.

“He’s a dangerous fighter with a lot of power. I’ve seen it for myself. I was ringside at the fight in Wollongong when he hammered Jack Brubaker, and saw how well he did under the bright lights.”

Zerafa said he would have been happy to contest the fight if it was postponed by a fortnight but Team Tszyu wouldn’t accept his terms.

“We’re happy to fight him anywhere in the country if it’s deemed Covid-free,” Zerafa told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m not going to go and fight with no team and no trainers behind me after being with them for the last 12 weeks in camp.

“(Health and financial wellbeing) always comes first. I could go over there and fight but we start as a team and finish as a team. I stick by my team and, when Covid is in place, we can’t afford that.”

Tim Tszui will now fight Steve Spark after Michael Zerafa pulled out of their fight due to Covid-19 concerns. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Tszyu and Zerafa have developed a fiery rivalry in the build-up to the bout and a war of words between the pair erupted into a blame game following news of the fight’s cancellation.

“He’s been talking it up and he’s been chasing me, following me around for the last three years, couldn’t get my name out of his mouth,” Tszyu said.

“And it’s finally come to it and they’re making all this random bulls*** up.”

Zerafa hit back, saying he would be happy to fight Tszyu anywhere at a later date, but not at the expense of health and safety regulations.

“I’ve been in front of Tim Tszyu, been to Sydney three or four times, and he had nothing to say,” Zerafa said on Wednesday.

“Now he knows the fight is off and he’s found his vocal cords. It’s pretty pathetic. It’s just wrong.

“Me and my team truly know we can knock him out, he knows we can knock him out. I definitely want the fight, it’s the biggest fight in Australian boxing.

“We said give it at least two weeks and let the situation calm down and bring my team.

“I’m going there as the B side, as the underdog. The judges are against me, everyone is against me and now they’re telling me to go and fight with no team.

“I would fight anywhere in the country on any terms, but when it comes to health regulations we just stick to what our government is saying and that’s not to travel as restrictions are getting worse.”