Junior middleweight Michael ‘Pretty Boy’ Zerafa 28-4 (17) will be looking to overcome a less than ideal preparation when he faces Tim ‘The Soul Snatcher’ Tszyu 18-0 (14) at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia on July 7.
The 29-year-old has had to contend with Covid-19 restrictions imposed in his home city of Melbourne that have prevented him from accessing certain facilities that normal form part of his training regime.
“If it gets to the point where we are struggling at training because we can’t prep then we have to look at things like postponing the fight or whatnot but until then everything’s on track,” Zerafa told AAP.
“There’s a lot of restrictions which has put a bit of dent in our prep but I know how to box and I’m just rolling with it.
“It’s the recovery – the pools and recovery centres are all closed so we’ve had to implement a lot of things in our training but getting the work in hasn’t stopped.
“The vibe has kind of gone, cause everyone is in lockdown but we’ve got a job to do.”
Zerafa had planned to get work in with undefeated Australian 154-pound champion Ben Mahoney 11-0 (6) but the Queenslander was unable to travel to Melbourne.
Mahoney will now join Tszyu’s camp on the Gold Coast instead, but Zerafa said there is no bad blood.
Instead, he has been sparring with middleweight Emmanuel Carlos 12-1 (7) and the aptly named Benjamin Bomber 1-0 (1).
“I know for a fact Timmy doesn’t have Benny’s power – his aggression or his all-round skill,” Zerafa said.
“Tim has more experience and that name but this young gun has a lot to offer.”
After turning pro a decade ago it feels like Zerafa has been around forever, but he insists he is in the midst of his prime right now.
“I have a lot more boxing IQ and I’m a man now, I was a boy in a man’s world back then,” he said.
“I’ve grown and I’m mentally and physically stronger and finding my love for the sport.
“In this sport patience is key – it’s all about timing and I’ve fallen short at the top level against world-class opponents like Kell Brook, Peter Quillen but my time has come.”
It is this experience that Zerafa will need to draw on to defeat the classy Tszyu, 26, who has continued to improve with every step up in class.
“Tszyu was never my dream, he’s just in the way of it,” said Zerafa, who took up the sport when he was 10.
“My dream was always to fight for a world title and win a world title.
“Whether I can… I just want to be involved and I’m super close.
“Once I get over Tszyu there, hopefully a world title fight approaches.”
