Michael Zerafa – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Jeff Horn’s wife, other family members pressuring him to retire

Jeff Horn’s family reportedly believes it’s time to call it quits. Horn isn’t so sure.

Jeff Horn’s family reportedly believes it’s time for him to call it quits. Horn isn’t so sure.

The 32-year-old fighter’s wife and other members of his family, citing the brutal beating he took from Tim Tszyu on Aug. 26 and other wars, say he has taken enough punishment in his successful boxing career.

Horn is trying to process their feelings but also remain true to himself.

“Jo has been happy for a while for me to hang up the gloves,” the Aussie told the Courier Mail. “She wants me to stop fighting. She hates the stress of me fighting and what I have to go through to get ready for a campaign.

“She doesn’t like watching what happened to me in the last fight, and she doesn’t want it to happen again. Look, I understand why people want me to retire and I’m hearing it from my wife and my close family members.

“They are saying, ‘You have done enough and you have done yourself proud, so just let it go.’”

Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs) reached his peak with a stunning unanimous-decision victory over Manny Pacquiao in July 2017 in Brisbane, by which he earned a world welterweight title.

However, he’s only 3-3 since that victory. He was stopped in nine rounds by Terence Crawford in June 2018, stopped by Michael Zerafa in the same round in August of last year and lasted only eight rounds against Tszyu.

Horn avenged the loss to Zerafa by outpointing him last December. That could end being his final victory.

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Jeff Horn’s wife, other family members pressuring him to retire

Jeff Horn’s family reportedly believes it’s time to call it quits. Horn isn’t so sure.

Jeff Horn’s family reportedly believes it’s time for him to call it quits. Horn isn’t so sure.

Horn is trying to process their feelings but also remain true to himself.

“They are saying, ‘You have done enough and you have done yourself proud, so just let it go.’”

Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs) reached his peak with a stunning unanimous-decision victory over Manny Pacquiao in July 2017 in Brisbane, by which he earned a world welterweight title.

Horn avenged the loss to Zerafa by outpointing him last December. That could end being his final victory.

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Tim Tszyu dominates, stops Jeff Horn in eight rounds

Tim Tszyu dominated former welterweight titleholder Jeff Horn before stopping him after eight rounds Wednesday in Townsville, Queensland.

Australia has a new young boxing star.

Tim Tszyu, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, dominated former welterweight titleholder Jeff Horn from beginning to end, put him down twice and stopped him after eight rounds of a scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout Wednesday in Townsville, Queensland.

Tszyu (16-0, 12 KOs) was better than Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs) in every respect, outboxing him and also outslugging a veteran opponent known for his toughness.

The 25-year-old Sydney native landed precise, hard punches throughout – hurting Horn multiple times — and handled everything Horn delivered in return, including his rough tactics.

Tim Tszyu celebrates with his team after beating Jeff Horn on Wednesday in Australia. Ian Hitchcock / Getty Images

Horn, beaten up and with no hope of winning, stayed on his stool after the eighth round.

Tszyu, ranked in the Top 15 of three of the four major sanctioning bodies, is now in better position to challenge for a world title. Kostya Tszyu won four junior welterweight belts.

Horn is now 2-3 in his last five fights, with losses to Terence Crawford (which cost him the title he took from Manny Pacquiao), Michael Zerafa and now Tszyu.

Tim Tszyu dominates, stops Jeff Horn in eight rounds

Tim Tszyu dominated former welterweight titleholder Jeff Horn before stopping him after eight rounds Wednesday in Townsville, Queensland.

Australia has a new young boxing star.

Tszyu (16-0, 12 KOs) was better than Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs) in every respect, outboxing him and also outslugging a veteran opponent known for his toughness.

The 25-year-old Sydney native landed precise, hard punches throughout – hurting Horn multiple times — and handled everything Horn delivered in return, including his rough tactics.

Horn, beaten up and with no hope of winning, stayed on his stool after the eighth round.

Tszyu, ranked in the Top 15 of three of the four major sanctioning bodies, is now in better position to challenge for a world title. Kostya Tszyu won four junior welterweight belts.

Horn is now 2-3 in his last five fights, with losses to Terence Crawford (which cost him the title he took from Manny Pacquiao), Michael Zerafa and now Tszyu.

Kell Brook says he must make a statement against Mark DeLuca

Kell Brook has to beat mediocrity and Mark DeLuca if he has any hope of resurrecting a career.

Kell Brook needs more than a victory.

He has to beat mediocrity and Mark DeLuca if he has any hope of resurrecting a career that has gone nowhere since successive losses to Errol Spence Jr. and Gennadiy Golovkin.

“It’s got to be spectacular,’’ Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) told Sky Sports about his latest – and perhaps last – comeback attempt Saturday against junior middleweight DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs) in his hometown of Sheffield, England on DAZN. “You’ve got to go away and think: ‘He’s back better than ever.’

“That’s what I want people to say.”

That’s another way of saying forgettable is not an option. Brook’s last fight, a unanimous decision over Michael Zerafa in October 2018, fell into that category. It was a yawner and it was followed by an idle year. Brook, 33, didn’t fight in 2019. Now, he’s fighting just to be remembered by an audience with a short memory.

“If I go through the motions, I will announce my retirement,’’ Brook told iFL TV,’’ he said. “If I look mediocre, I’m obviously not good enough.’’

Obviously, Brook intends to deliver a performance that conjures up memories of his past. He called himself The Special One. Special is what he hopes to do against the unknown DeLuca, a Marine from Massachusetts.

Brook’s plans are especially ambitious.

“2020, I want to be two-time champion,” said Brook, whose bout against DeLuca has revived talk about him finally fighting Amir Khan. “I’ve never been as driven, I’ve never been as focused in my whole career as I am now, because I want to mix it with the best.

“If I could have my dream fight, it would be an Errol Spence rematch. I could do welterweight. For the right fight, I’ll do welterweight.”

Aussies Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu agree to terms for April fight

Junior middleweights Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu have agreed to face each other in an April showdown.

Australia has its next blockbuster fight.

Junior middleweights Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu have agreed on terms to face one another in April, although they haven’t settled upon a specific date. The news was first reported by The Daily Telegraph.

The location has not yet been determined, but Brisbane is thought to the front runner to land the fight. Sydney is also a possibility. Negotiations were contentious but the two sides eventually agreed to a 60-40 financial split that favors the 31-year-old Horn, who has been the de facto face of Australian boxing for the past few years.

Horn-Tszyu will be the biggest fight in Australia since Horn challenged Filipino star Manny Pacquiao in 2017. Horn won that bout controversially to become the WBO welterweight titleholder. He then lost his title to Terence Crawford in 2018. Since then, Horn drubbed countryman Anthony Mundine in one round and then engaged Michael Zerafa in a wild two-fight series.

Horn (20-2-1, 13 KOs) was stopped by Zerafa in nine rounds last August but turned the tables four months later, outpointing Zerafa in a barnburner that saw both fighters sustain hellacious punishment. Horn dropped Zerafa twice but was also out on his feet at one point.

The 25-year-old Tszyu (15-0, 11 KOs), son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, will be taking a considerable step up in competition. He has faced middling opposition since turning pro in 2016. He fought four times last year, including a decision over Dwight Ritchie, who subsequently died as a result of injuries suffered during a sparring session.

“This is what I was born for,” Tszyu told Fox Sports. “I’ve been fighting my whole life for this particular moment. I want to test him. I know I can [dig deep]. Yes, he’s fought some of the greats, but I believe I can bring him into those trenches and test him in a way he’s already been tested, and in a way he won’t be able to survive.”

Kell Brook vs. Amir Khan at long last? Talk as loud as ever

Amir Khan and Kell Brook continue to say they’re willing to fight one another. Could it actually happen this year?

From Floyd Mayweather Jr. to Manny Pacquiao, a lot happened in the last decade. Here’s something that didn’t:

Kell Brook vs. Amir Khan.

Glaciers have melted since fight fans first started talking about Brook-Khan. There’s still no opening bell, yet the talk is still there, suddenly as loud as ever. Khan mentioned Brook last week, perhaps because he is running out of options for some good money. Retirement looms.

Brook, 33, has heard the renewed talk, of course. It must sound like an old song. He knows the lyrics. Yet, the beat goes on. Perhaps, a re-done version will include more than just talk in a new decade. Maybe not.

“Amir knows where I am, I’m here,’’ Brook, a former welterweight champion, told The Mirror while training for a Feb. 8 bout against Mark DeLuca in Sheffield, England. “If he wants to fight, it’s not hard to make. I’m not being awkward and the world knows that.

“He’s reluctant because we’re both British and with him saying how easy he can beat me, he wouldn’t be able to walk the streets knowing he’d been pasted all over the ring by me.

“He’s been saying for years that he will do this, that and other to me, so when I put him flat on his face he wouldn’t be able to walk around the streets. It would do him in. He can lose to Americans. But losing to a Brit — given the history we’ve got — that’s going to hurt. That’s the major issue for him.”

Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) went on to say that he does not expect to hear from Khan if he delivers an impressive performance in a victory over DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs).

“I’m fed up of saying his name,’’ said Brook, who hasn’t fought since scoring a unanimous decision over Michael Zerafa on Dec. 12, 2018.

However, he hasn’t eliminated the Khan option. Brook’s hopes for 2020:

“DeLuca, world title fight, Khan.”

Then, maybe, a decade without talk of Brook-Khan. That’ll sound strange.

Amir Khan, now 33, looking for big names, big money

Amir Khan is hoping for two or three more fights against well-known opponents after a forgettable 2019 that led to talk about retirement.

Amir Khan begins a new year hoping for two or three more fights after a forgettable 2019 that led to inevitable talk about retirement.

Khan, who turned 33 a month ago, hopes for some good money against known names in 2020.

Longtime U.K. rival Kell Brook continues to be a possibility. Khan also continues to talk about Manny Pacquiao, a 41-year-old welterweight champion who hopes to return to the ring while on break from his duties as a Filipino senator this spring.

“I am in a position where I can fight the top fighters that bring a lot of money to the table, and I am very lucky to be in that position,” Khan (34-4, 21 KOs) told The Bolton News, his hometown newspaper. “I can go to America, or go back to Saudi Arabia and do a fight there, or I do a big fight in the U.K.”

Khan, a former junior welterweight champion, lost to Terence Crawford on April 20 in New York. He said he could not continue after he was hit by what was ruled an accidental low blow in the sixth round. Khan, knocked down in the first round, apologized after the TKO loss. In July, he went to Saudi Arabia, stopping late replacement Billy Dibbs in four rounds.

There has been some renewed interest in a Khan-Brook fight, which looks to be more likely than Pacquiao. It’s a good bet that the Filipino’s next fight will be against Danny Garcia or one of the other welterweights tied to Premier Boxing Champions.

Brook is back on Feb. 8 in Sheffield, England against once-beaten Mark DeLuca in a junior middleweight bout. Brook hasn’t fought since December of 2018, when he struggled in a decision over Michael Zerafa.

Jeff Horn exacts revenge on Michael Zerafa with majority decision

Jeff Horn outslugged Michael Zerafa to win by a majority points decision in a 12-round middleweight bout Wednesday night in Brisbane.

A late – and bloody – contender for Fight of the Year unfolded on Wednesday night in Brisbane, Australia.

In a widely anticipated middleweight rematch, Jeff Horn avenged his loss to Michael Zerafa in August, outgrinding his domestic rival and scoring two knockdowns in the pivotal ninth round en route to a majority decision in front of a sold-out crowd at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

One judge had it a draw at 94-94, while the two others had it 98-90 and 97-92 in favor of the Queenslander Horn, who came into the fight wearing gloves with Zerafa’s name printed on the thumb. Horn, best known for his upset decision over Manny Pacquiao at welterweight in 2017, clearly meant business, and the fight played out as such.

The tone was set from the opening bell, with Horn (20-2-1, 13 KOs) storming out of his corner with gusto. The two traded all fight long, but it was Horn who had the upper hand in the exchanges. Horn consistently closed the distance and made sure to bring his roughhouse style to bear on Zerafa, who never seemed to get a handle on Horn this time aorund.

Michael Zerafa (right) had no excuses after his loss to rival Jeff Horn on Wednesday in Brisbane, Australia. Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images

In the first fight, Zerafa (27-4, 16 KOs) knocked out Horn in the ninth round and it appeared early in the same round in this match that he might get the same result. Aware that he was well behind on the cards, Zerafa came out with a blinding onslaught of punches that had Horn bloodied and nearly out on this feet.

But Horn would receive an assist at that point, when referee John Cauci called a timeout to examine Horn’s brutal cut and he had time to recover. With a minute left in the round, Horn roared back, dropping Zerafa with a right hand. Moments later, he followed up with another right that had Zerafa down a second time.

Zerafa survived but this was Horn’s night.

Said Zerafa afterward: “There were no excuses.”

Michael Zerafa describes moments before Dwight Ritchie’s death

Michael Zerafa has come out with a statement on the death of Dwight Ritchie. The two were sparring when Zerafa landed a fatal body blow.

Michael Zerafa was still trying to make sense of the death of boxer and close friend Dwight Ritchie two days later.

The junior middleweight from Australia was sparring with Ritchie in a Melbourne gym on Saturday when, according to reports, Ritchie collapsed. Paramedics rushed to the seen but couldn’t save him. He was pronounced dead in the ring

According to 7news.com.au, Zerafa said Ritchie “suddenly stopped” in the sixth round of sparring. He described what happened this way:

“He rocked up, fit as ever, we were both in preparation for our fights. He just took a few backward steps and just held his chest and just collapsed. Everyone ran into the ring but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

The final punch landed on Ritchie’s left side but, Zerafa said, was “nothing out of the ordinary. No shots landed that were really different. Just something happened.”

Zerafa issued a statement through the Australian website Exclusive Insight. It reads:

“There are simply no words to describe how I am feeling right now. Dwight was one of the most humble people I have ever met. We had known each other since we were teenagers, when we were just starting out in the sport. And for the past 10 years, Dwight and I had been supporting each other inside, and outside of the ring. There had always been a professional and mutual respect between us.

“Yesterday, was an absolute tragedy, and as tough as it is right now for myself, I can only imagine how difficult the past 24 hours has been for Dwight’s family. My heart bleeds for his three children and his beautiful partner. I have spoken to the family, and given my deepest condolences. The boxing community has lost a truly great person, and I have lost a mate. I appreciate all the messages of support that I have been receiving from family, friends, media and the boxing community.

“Dwight’s passing is a further reminder why we can’t take life for granted. Nothing in life is guaranteed. Dwight lived his life with purpose, and those in the boxing community that came to know him, will forever cherish the positive memories we had with him. He taught me so much, not just as a boxer but as a person, and I will always be thankful for the lessons Dwight shared with me about life. Dwight, you will always be remembered. Rest in Peace mate.”

Zerafa (27-3, 16 knockouts) is scheduled to face Jeff Horn in a rematch on December 18. Zerafa stopped Horn in August.

Ritchie’s was the fourth boxing-related death this year. Maxim Dadashev, Patrick Day and Boris Stanchov died as a result of blows they took in fights.