Takeshi Inoue’s Michael Zerafa sparring video leaves Aussie exposed

Takeshi Inoue may be focused on his fight with Tim Tszyu on Wednesday but he’s already emphatically shut the book on one Aussie star.

Japanese boxer Takeshi Inoue has delivered a body blow in his war of words with Michael Zerafa, releasing video of the contentious 2016 sparring session between the pair.

The pair have been trading verbal barbs in the lead up to Inoue’s fight tonight against Tim Tszyu, as Zerafa claimed to have previously bashed the WBO’s sixth-ranked contender.

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Zerafa, 29, was heavily criticised when he walked out of his scheduled fight Tszyu in July citing Covid fears, and has regularly traded trash talk with his Aussie rival — now he’s potting Tszyu’s opponents too.

Both Zerafa and Inoue claimed to have won a sparring session between the pair in 2016. Over the weekend, Inoue said via a translator: “Just about everything Michael Zerafa is saying is a lie. When we sparred a few years back, I controlled the session, I dominated every round, and it just strikes me that he is a liar, and he is childlike.”

How did Zerafa become the story in this fight? Picture: Tony Gough

Zerafa didn’t take the comments lying down.

“He thinks, I know – he’s just salty he’s getting bashed by two Aussies, Tim will beat him on Wednesday night, just like I beat him in sparring,” Zerafa said.

“They’re three days out from the fight and they’re still talking about Zerafa – from a bloke who doesn’t speak English.”

But Inoue put it to bed after Tuesday’s weigh in, releasing a video from the sparring session, which shows the Japanese fighter getting in plenty of good combinations and both men walking away confidently at the end.

“We’ve got video from that sparring session right here, if you want to take a look, we’ve got the video to prove it,” Inoue said.

“This is the actual sparring session with Michael Zerafa. We’re going to send this to No Limit and they will make it available to the media and to the people of Australia and the people of the world.

“I feel I had the edge. Maybe Michael Zerafa is just confused and mistaken about this.

“We’d like to send the video out and everybody who is watching, the fans, you decide for yourself.”

Michael Zerafa sparring Takeshi Inoue in 2016.

While the video doesn’t show the whole session, it also appears as neither man really dominated the other.

Inoue also claimed that Zerafa “quit” against his training partner Kazuto Takesako after two rounds of sparring, despite being contracted for three rounds.

But Zerafa fired one more shot back at Inoue, according to The Daily Telegraph.

“Takeshi has put together clips in a 30-second highlight reel to show off his best moments of the sparring session, and it is still even,” Zerafa said.

“I’m not troubled at any point in that vision, I’m jabbing him, keeping me off. He’s trying to make himself look good with that edited clip, and that’s his best work, but they’re saying I stopped after the second round and he knocked me out, that’s garbage.

“He’s even changed his tune now, first saying he stopped me and now saying, ‘I think I got the better of him’.”

While it was Zerafa who claimed Inoue was “just salty he’s getting bashed by two Aussies”, the Japanese fighter is hoping to turn the fight into a new shot at the world title against Tszyu.

Coming into the fight in amazing shape, Inoue’s only loss was a world title decision against Jaime Munguia.

As Tszyu is the mandatory challenger for Brian Castano’s WBO title, the fight wasn’t necessary for the Aussie to take and a loss would derail his world title hopes.

Tim Tszyu is looking fit himself. Picture: No Limit Boxing / Brett Costello

When is the fight?

The main card for the Tszyu-Inoue fight is scheduled to get underway on Wednesday 17 November at 7pm (AEDT).

The undercard will commence at 6pm and the main card will start at 7pm.

Depending on how long the other fights on the card go for, Tszyu and Inoue will likely enter the ring a couple hours later, by around 10pm. Although it’s not an exact science.

Where is the fight taking place?

The fight will be held at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

How can I stream the fight?

You can watch the Tszyu-Inoue fight on Foxtel’s Main Event (channel 521) or stream it on Kayo, both for $59.95 pay-per-view.

Main fight card

— Tim Tszyu vs Takeshi Inoue, 10 rounds, super welterweight – Tszyu’s WBO Global title, WBO Asia Pacific title

— Wade Ryan vs Nath Nwachukwu, 10 rounds, super welterweight – vacant IBO Intercontinental title

— Joel Camilleri vs. Koen Mazoudier, 8 rounds, super welterweight

— Dennis Hogan vs. Tommy Browne, 6 rounds, super welterweight

Undercard

Jackson Murray vs Shant Nercessian, 4 rounds, heavyweight

Viviana Ruiz Corredor vs. Jacinta Austin, 4 rounds, bantamweight

Alex Lual vs Trent Girdham, 4 rounds, welterweight

Benjamin Hussain vs Darwin Sagurit, 4 rounds, super welterweight