Michael Zerafa Returns to the Ring After Severe Kidney Infection
After a very controversial period, Australian boxer Michael Zerafa is finally returning to the ring in mid-December to fight against Fijian boxer Siliveni Nawai. Now that the fight has been finalized, the Australian boxer may be able to move on from the Newcastle no-show incident that occurred last July. The previously proposed fight between Zerafa and Tim Tszyu would’ve been the biggest Australian boxing match in recent history. However, Zerafa opted not to travel to Newcastle, citing health and safety reasons.
Zerafa Addresses the Events Surrounding the Tszyu Fight
Just seven days before the scheduled fight with Tszyu, Michael Zerafa officially withdrew from the highly anticipated fight. Zerafa has professed his desire to go against Tszyu for years, which is why the sudden decision sparked numerous responses from his opponent and the public. In fact, fight promoters have even gone far as to say that Zefara never intended to take on the fight against Tszyu. The CEO of No Limit Boxing, George Rose, professed that he and Tim Tszyu knew that the boxer never wanted the fight once he looked eye-to-eye with his opponent. As such, Australian boxer Steve Spark had to step in his place for the highly anticipated fight to continue.
Acknowledging the disappointment of Australian boxing fans, Zerafa clarified that he had to back out of the fight due to COVID-19 concerns. Zefara’s team stated that the stricter COVID-19 restrictions between Victoria and New South Wales pushed them to cancel the fight. While this explanation seemed invalid to some fans, the precaution is incredibly important because he had a medical emergency just weeks before the fight’s schedule.
Zerafa stated that he felt a bit of pain during his training, but he decided to push through the session despite it. However, the pain only worsened after the session. He even confessed that he was throwing up and going to the bathroom every two minutes later that night. SymptomFind helps in narrowing down health conditions based on symptoms, such as the one Zerafa has provided. The health resource details how abdominal pain and vomiting are signs of a kidney infection, which is a condition that has to be treated immediately with antibiotics. The condition was, indeed, very serious, to the point that Zerafa had to be admitted to the hospital. Because of this, his team postponed the press conference. Later, Zerafa stated that he was not shying away from any fight, but that his health had to come first, given the context of the situation.
Both Zerafa and Tszyu Are Looking Forward to Claim Big Names
While the cancelled fight remains controversial, both boxers are looking forward to their respective matches with an optimistic outlook. Tszyu was not only able to win against Steve Spark, but he was also able to win against Takeshi Inoue last November 17. SkySports cites that Tszyu’s shot at a world title may happen anytime soon, given that he currently has an unbeaten record of 20-0. He is now the mandatory challenger to WBO super-welterweight champion Brian Castano.
On the other hand, Zerafa states that he’s happy to leave the drama behind. The Australian boxer also has plans of his own, which may include fighting for a big title next year. Zerafa is looking forward to his fight with Nawai this December and even hinted that he was training as if it was a world title fight. This will be his second time on the ring this year, after a fight against Anthony Mundine, who lost in just 129 seconds.
The fallout between Zerafa and Tszyu disappointed many fans, but things may start looking up in the next months as both boxers plan their next moves. For more boxing content, check out our articles at Boxing Daily. We have features on the latest boxing and MMA news that will keep you updated on the latest fights between the biggest names in the industry.
