Michael ‘Pretty Boy’ Zerafa 28-4 (17) has destroyed Anthony Mundine 48-11 (28) in a single round at Bendigo Stadium in Bendigo, Australia on Saturday night.
The 45-year-old Mundine simply didn’t have the reflexes or punch resistance to survive the opening three minutes, going down twice before the referee waved off the one-sided contest.
For Zerafa, 28, it was a thrill to get the victory over his childhood hero. He is now angling for a shot at rising junior middleweight star Tim Tszyu 17-0 (13) who clashes with two-time world title challenger Dennis Hogan 28-3-1 (7) in Newcastle on March 31.
“Feeling electric. This is a legacy fight for me: 15 years I’ve been waiting for this moment and I’ve delivered,” the 28-year-old Zerafa said.
“A huge thank you to the Mundine team for the opportunity.
“Anthony, nothing but love and respect, brother.
“You’re the person to put this sport on the map, brother: the best ever to lace up in Australian boxing.
“It’s my time. I told you, you passed the torch and now it’s time Tim Tszyu – excuse my French – but stop fucking running.
“It’s time to fight. It’s the best match up. We’re both number-one in our division. He had a four-fight plan that I was in. He’s fought three out of the four and he’s running scared.
“Let’s give back to Australian boxing. Let’s put boxing back on the map. It’s my time.”
The 45-year-old Mundine admitted his boxing career was “definitely, definitely” over after the fight.
“Win, lose or draw, even if I won, I still would have hung them up,” he said.
“I just haven’t got the heart anymore to do it.
“God’s given me great talent, both in rugby league and boxing. I’m not the fighter I was five years ago, a year ago or 10 years ago.
“But I’ve achieved a lot in my time.”
He achieved a lot in his unlikely career.
Prior to the Zerafa bout concerns had been raised about Mundine’s health, most notably from former three-weight world champion Jeff Fenech.
“There’s some stages in people’s lives where the doors should be closed. His last few fights he’s shown he doesn’t have the resistance to take a punch anymore,” he said to ABC Grandstand.
Mundine shrugged off the concerns.
“Thank God I’m healthy,” he said after the bout.
“But, unfortunately, I got caught in the first round. It happens in boxing.
“Hopefully Michael can go on and be a success and reach all his dreams.
“He’s wanted to fight me when he was 15. Lucky he got me when I was 45, not 35.”
In an all-southpaw light heavyweight battle on the undercard Faris Chevalier 12-1 (7) upset world-rated Blake Caparello 30-4-1 (13) by unanimous decision with scores of 97-93 across the board.
Caparello entered the fight ranked WBC number six, WBA number three, IBF number 14 and WBO number eight. Chevalier was having his first fight in four-and-a-half years.
Former female world champion Shannon ‘Shotgun’ O’Connell 21-6-1 (10) proved to be a bit too experienced for Cherneka ‘Sugar Neekz’ Johnson 13-1 (6) in their bantamweight contest, winning a split decision by scores of 97-93 twice and 94-96.
