Australia’s Tim Tszyu has branded Michael Zerafa a $50,000 fighter who will never be worth splitting a world title purse equally, saying: “Do you even remember his last fight? People were falling asleep in the crowd”.
Less than six weeks after winning his WBO world title against American Tony Harrison, Tszyu is already back in training for what will likely be a mid-year defence on home soil.
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The new interim super welterweight champ has revealed he will also be cheering the upset in this Sunday’s hyped lightweight blockbuster between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Ryan Garcia — the latter of whom he shared a Los Angeles gym with as recently as December.
But as for his own impending showdown?
While a host of ranked fighters are already being whispered for the undefeated 28-year-old, one contender who won’t be in the mix is current Australian middleweight contender Zerafa.
Only last week, a News Corp report claimed the fighter dubbed Pretty Boy had rejected a potential May showdown against Tszyu in Australia — with Zerafa instead choosing what he insists will be a WBA championship fight with American star Erislandy Lara in Las Vegas this July.
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While Tszyu had zero knowledge of the fight offer – “nobody mentioned anything to me” – the rising Aussie star happily responded to suggestions by Zerafa’s US agent Elvis Grant that any future showdown between the pair must involve a 50:50 purse split.
In the same article, Grant also branded Tszyu as having “the personality of a dead salmon” and said, should the arch rivals ever fight, it would be Zerafa’s talent, look and charisma which sold the all-Australian showdown.
Yet while speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week about Sunday’s Las Vegas blockbuster, Tszyu said there was zero chance of Zerafa ever receiving an equal fight purse split from him.
“Zerafa is a 50 grand fighter,” he shrugged.
“That’s the most he is ever going to make in his fights.
“So a fifty-fifty split?
“I will never, ever — ever — in my life give that man an opportunity to make $1 million.
“There are plenty of fighters far more deserving.
“Plus, right now I think I’m doing good things with Australian boxing. And I don’t need that clown involved with any of those successes.”
Quizzed on suggestions by Team Zerafa that the Melburnian was also a bigger draw, Tszyu laughed: “Do you even remember his last fight?
“I’m told people were falling asleep in the crowd.
“Nobody cares about him.
“Nobody knows his Pay-Per-View numbers.
“The guy is old news.”
Asked what he thought of Grant, Tszyu shrugged: “Who is that?”
Told it was Zerafa’s agent, and the man pushing for a 50:50 split because of that dead fish line, the fighter cackled: “Look, everyone is going to have an opinion.
“And I’ve learned the ones doing the hating are usually those doing worse than you.
“So let them hate.”
When it comes to Sunday’s lightweight blockbuster meanwhile, Tszyu is predicting a scrap that lives up to the hype.
Back in December, the rising Aussie fight star and Garcia got to know each other well over several weeks, and many conversations about old fights — including those involving Tszyu’s famed father Kostya — as the pair trained out of the same Los Angeles gym.
“So while my head is saying it will be a Tank win,” he said, “my heart is saying Garcia.
“And I really do believe this fight could go either way.
“If Ryan is able to stay on distance, move a little bit when Tank attacks, I feel like he’ll be able to pick up rounds, eventually win a decision.
“But I also see Tank being able to pull the trigger, too.
“He’s a slow starter, can take time to read opponents and isn’t consistent in rounds, fighting in spurts.
“But it’s also in those spurts he can get the job done.
“And if Tank finds that opening, yeah, game over.
“If he wins it will be by knockout.”
During the lead-up to what was initially supposed to be a unification bout with Jermell Charlo – and then Harrison – Tszyu spent six weeks training Stateside in both LA and Las Vegas.
For the majority of that time, the undefeated Aussie worked extensively out of the famed Ten Goose Boxing Gym – where Garcia also worked under Hall of Fame coach Joe Goossen.
Each afternoon, Garcia and his crew trained until four o’clock at the popular Californian fight spot, when Team Tszyu then arrived for evening workouts.
The crossover resulted in the two fight stars spending several afternoons chatting about several topics, including Tszyu’s famous father Kostya.
“Ryan’s knowledge of boxing history, that really surprised me,” Tszyu said.
“He’s a real student of the game.
“Really knows his fights.
“For example, you wouldn’t think someone that age would know a lot about my father.
“But he knew everything, man.
“It really surprised me.”
Favourite topics?
“I remember we were talking about the left hook,” Tszyu continued. “That’s his favourite punch and Ryan was talking about (throwing it) like a whip.
“You don’t have to hit it hard, just touch them on the side of the temple.
“They were just chats that only boxing people would really understand, I guess.
“But he really is just a good bloke.”
Asked about Garcia being a $3 TAB outsider, Tszyu continued: “That’s based on the way both careers have so far gone.
“Tank has the better resume. Has fought better opponents.
“He has more experience, more high calibre fights, but stylistically this fight really could go either way.”