Polarising Aussie boxer Michael Zerafa is prone to be handed a life ban and see his No Restrict Boxing contract torn up following his controversial bout with Nikita Tszyu on Friday evening in Brisbane.
Zerafa, 33, is claiming he suffered a shattered eye socket within the struggle which was sensationally stopped and declared a no contest – together with harm to his retina.
On Saturday, Zerafa posted a video of himself on Instagram the place he’s nursing a swollen left eye.
The controversial Melbourne-based boxer – dubbed Fairly Boy – additionally claimed to have spent the evening in hospital following an unintentional head conflict with Tszyu within the ring.
Zerafa was left with a small minimize over his left eye – and in beautiful scenes, ringside physician Alan Saunders known as off the struggle after Zerafa twice mentioned he had been ‘blinded.’
Dr Saunders later revealed his alternate with Zerafa on Fox Sports activities.
Aussie boxer Michael Zerafa (left) is prone to be handed a life ban and see his No Restrict Boxing contract torn up following his controversial bout with Nikita Tszyu on Friday evening in Brisbane
Zerafa, 33, is now claiming he suffered a ‘shattered’ eye socket within the bout which was sensationally stopped and declared a no contest – together with harm to his retina
A publish on X from Zerafa’s minimize man Matt Clark insisted the minimize was minimal, earlier than sharing a picture of the ‘bloodied’ swab (pictured)
‘I coated Michael’s proper eye and mentioned, ‘are you able to see?’.
‘He (twice) mentioned ‘I can not see…I can not see.’
Dr Saunders added the one final result was to finish the struggle on the finish of the second spherical.
Irate followers did not conceal their disappointment after the extremely anticipated bout was led to comical trend, with cups and cans being hurled within the path of each fighters.
‘Unbelievable scenes right here in Brisbane,’ Ben Damon mentioned in commentary.
‘That is a unprecedented second…this crowd is livid. This might be a second that’s talked about without end in Australian boxing historical past. Extraordinary. Unbelievable.’
Including to the appreciable drama was a publish on X from Zerafa’s minimize man Matt Clark.
He insisted the minimize was minimal, earlier than sharing a picture of the ‘bloodied’ swab.
In chaotic scenes, Michael Zerafa insisted he needed to struggle on, regardless of microphones selecting up him saying ‘I can not see’ twice to ringside physician Alan Saunders
Tim Tszyu, the older brother of Nikita, was left fuming on the choice and confronted Zerafa within the ring calling him a ‘pussy’ and ‘cowardly’
‘I felt the minimize on Michael Zerafa wasn’t unhealthy in any respect. He requested me between rounds ‘Candy?’ to which I replied ‘It is candy, there’s nothing in it’.
‘That is the overall quantity of blood on the swab. A really disappointing finish to what I believed was shaping as an excellent contest.’
As rigidity mounted seemingly by the second, Tszyu’s former world championship-winning brother Tim confronted Zerafa within the ring.
He mocked Zerafa as a ‘pussy’, reminding his bitter rival how he himself fought on blindly for 10 rounds with a ugly minimize to his head throughout a 12-round battle with Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas in 2024.
Following the bout, Zerafa went on a wild, eight-minute rant backstage and has threatened to stroll away from the game for good.
Now the choice is prone to be out of his fingers – and his fame is in tatters.
‘I do not know if they will see me again within the ring, man,’ Zerafa mentioned.
‘I am f***ing performed. ‘I’ve bled for this sport. I’ve performed the whole lot for this sport. I by no means get the credit score I deserve. It is bulls**t.’
When requested if he might perceive why the Brisbane crowd was so livid, Zerafa continued to say his innocence.
Tszyu referenced his personal bloodied bout in opposition to Sebastian Fundora the place he lasted 12 rounds
Referee Chris Condon was left with little alternative however to cease the match and award the no choice end result (pictured)
‘I by no means give up,’ Zerafa maintained.
His opponent although was not shopping for Zerafa’s excuses.
‘He pulled the pin on the struggle. I am actually misplaced for phrases,’ Nikita Tszyu mentioned.
‘It is annoying that he noticed the opening to flee and simply took the primary route out.
‘Like, yeah, it is a minimize on the attention, however…as quickly as the top conflict occurred, I might see him panicking slightly bit.
‘He wasn’t pleased with it but it surely’s boxing. You get cuts. Have a look at my brother, he had a bloody squirter [against Sebastian Fundora].’
Talking with media after the bout, Tim Tszyu doubled down on Zerafa’s ‘cowardly’ act and introduced up his personal points with the Aussie fighter from 2021.
‘I simply do not perceive the cowardly act. I heard the physician went like that [holds hand up to eye] and he went ‘I can not see, I can not see’ 3 times,’ he mentioned.
‘I really feel like that sort of reply should not come out of a boxer.
‘He felt slightly little bit of adversity and as a substitute of rising as much as the event he simply mentioned, ‘Nah, I can not see’. It is weird. It is actually weird. I am very shocked. It simply proves the entire thing about him not rocking as much as struggle me.’
No Restrict CEO George Rose admitted he’s enraged about Zerafa’s conduct.
‘It is nonetheless very uncooked,’ he mentioned.
‘I used to be biting my tongue on the finish of the struggle as a result of I’m obsessed with placing on these occasions. I like this s***. We make investments a variety of time, cash and energy into what we do. It is a danger each time we do a present.
‘I do know so many individuals are pissed off.’
