Despite what most people believe, Michael Zerafa is adamant he doesn't "need" to fight Tim Tszyu.
"I don't need Tszyu – Tszyu doesn't need me – we've got bigger things," Zerafa told Wide World of Sports the morning after the rising star's impressive TKO victory over Dennis Hogan. "I'm just trying to give the fight fans the fight they want to see. And I want to make clear I'm not the one that's running; I want to fight him."
Zerafa has been tooting his horn about matching-up with Tszyu for quite some time now, and most with their ear to the ground within Aussie boxing say it is a strong possibility the two will clash this year. While Tszyu has no doubt impressed keen judges overseas with his skills in the ring and his ability to attract television audiences in Russia and Australia, the ever-improving 26-year-old may have to wait until 2022 to get a shot at a world title.
Even without the pandemic, securing such a fight on the world stage is difficult due to politics and the multitude of agendas at play. Throw in the fluid situation regarding travel restrictions relating to COVID-19, Tszyu's promoters may have to look closer to home in the short-term to keep their fighter in the title conversation.
After beating Anthony Mundine inside the first round last month, Zerafa has climbed in the rankings. The top-rated Aussie middleweight was heavily scrutinised following the one-sided win by members of the media, but according to Zerafa his international stock is rising.
"I don't need the fight, I want it – there's a difference," he said. "I've moved to No.9 in the world and No.5 in the WBA and No.1 in Australia with all the new rankings coming out now.
"We got things in the pipeline. We have the WBA interim world title. They've approached us and we're working on that. That would make me a mandatory for a (Ryota) Murata or a (Chris) Eubank or someone like that.
"I just want the big fights but domestically it's Zerafa v Tszyu. They know I'm a huge risk. And that's OK. Don't come out and say I don't want the fight and then low-ball me and then say I don't want it."
Both fighters were in discussions to fight in 2020. Zerafa says he should have been fighting Tszyu at Bankwest Stadium instead of Kiwi Bowyn Morgan in December but he claims he was low-balled by the Tszyu camp. The two camps have different versions of how the negotiations took place.
According to Zerafa, he was offered around $70,000 to fight Tszyu, while various reports claim it was double that. Either way, both sides have been at odds ever since, which led to Zerafa crashing Tszyu's fight against Morgan. While a fight against Tszyu could be closer than ever, Zerafa again stresses he's not desperate to dance with the Sydneysider.
"People think I'm chasing Tszyu, I don't need Tszyu. He's there because he's just there. I'm the only other fighter that has done what he has done and more," Zerafa said.
"He talked about Hogan and the two losses against world champions. I've won every regional title. I've knocked out Jeff Horn. I've won the commonwealth title, which he hasn't. I've fought former world champions. He hasn't done any of this yet."
Ahead of the Hogan fight, there was some concern the Irishman's cagey style may trouble the 18-0 fighter, yet he managed to come out on top relatively quickly and walked down his opponent while applying extreme pressure to the body.
Stylistically, Zerafa could be seen as a much more straight-forward opponent for Tszyu, but Zerafa says their fighting styles match up well.
"Styles make fights; these guys he's fighting are very walk up fighters they throw the overhand where you can pick them off," he said.
"I fought them. I've had 33 fights and those guys are a lot easier to fight than someone who is keeping distance and flicking the jab, slipping and ripping on the inside.
"And that's me I fight very similar to Tszyu but I'm more aggressive. I believe I have more power and you can see that in my KO rate. My style matches up to his perfectly."
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