Michael Zerafa has branded the Tszyu brothers “weird” while also vowing to revive the most painful memory in their family’s proud fight history, declaring: “Micky Hatton is back … Micky Hatton never left”.

One of Australian boxing’s most intense rivalries is back underway as 32-year-old Zerafa returns to the ring for the first time since being KO’d by WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara in March.

While the polarising ‘Pretty Boy’ fought on the Las Vegas undercard of Tim Tszyu last, his return takes place on next Wednesday’s Pay-Per-View headliner involving Nikita Tszyu and Koen Mazoudier at the ICC Theatre, Sydney.

Officially, Zerafa is set to face Tommy Browne, however the bigger storyline involves a three-fight deal the Aussie boxing bad boy has inked with Australian promoters No Limit – with showdowns with both Tszyu boys the end goal.

Speaking with Main Event’s Ben Damon this week, Zerafa took aim at the sons of Kostya Tszyu, while also joking, again, about the Hall of Famer’s career-ending loss to Englishman Ricky Hatton way back in 2005.

When Zerafa and Tim Tszyu were first meant to throw down three years ago – a fight which famously never eventuated – Zerafa made headlines after declaring himself “Micky Hatton”.

During a ‘Face Off’ interview involving the pair, Zerafa took aim at Tszyu by declaring he was readying to do what Hatton did to his famous father – and end his career in shocking fashion.

While a clearly agitated Tszyu replied “don’t talk about that”, Zerafa is ready to revive the drama as he chases showdowns with, first, Nikita and then Tim – who is himself fighting IBF super welterweight champ Bakhram Murtazaliev on Sunday, October 20 (Australian time).

Asked about the line when interviewed by Damon this week, Zerafa laughed: “Micky Hatton is back … Micky Hatton never left”.

Elsewhere, Zerafa Tszyu took aim at Nikita Tszyu for his bizarre press conferences saying: “He talks about getting aroused, he loves blood, when Tim was bleeding he wanted to lick his gloves, that’s not normal.

“But people are like ‘oh, that’s mad’.

“How is that mad?

“(Laughs) It’s mad, it’s f***ing mad”.

Pushed on the Ricky Hatton line, Zerafa said: “My brain works in weird ways.

“I might be just as weird as these Tszyu boys.

“But look, it worked.

“I dropped one line, and that’s the pulling power I want.”

Moments earlier in the interview, he also said of the Tszyu brothers: “They irritate me, they s*** me.

“And they’re probably good kids, man.

“I dunno.

“But these guys, man, they just p*** me off, they’re annoying.”

Zerafa also stressed he has no fear of Tim Tszyu, despite suggestions that he withdrew from their 2021 showdown because of exactly that, declaring: “I’m not scared of him.

“People think I am.

“I’m not scared of him.

“I’m not the one puts my head down (when) shaking hands inside a room.

“He always talks big on camera ‘Zerafa who, Zerafa, huh’ … he talks a big game but when I’m in front of him he can’t find his balls.”

Way back in 2005, Kostya Tszyu was shockingly upset by Englishman Hatton in front of 22,000 screaming fans at Manchester Arena.

While Hatton was a huge underdog, the Brit produced the fight of his life through 11 rounds before, down on the scorecards, Tszyu failed to emerge from the corner, with his trainer Johnny Lewis throwing in the towel.

While Tszyu snr never officially announced his retirement that night, or in the days after, it remains the last fight of his Hall of Fame career.

And it was that moment Zerafa decided to revive during a 2021 interview that saw the pair square off inside Fox Sports Australia’s Sydney studios.

Without prompting, Zerafa started: “I’m Micky Zerafa … it’s f***ing Micky Hatton rocking up. I’m taking over.”

A shocked Tszyu replied that “Pacquaio is going to rock up”, a reference to the Filipino legend who famously beat Hatton in 2009.

“Remember what Pacquaio did to (Ricky) Hatton?” Tszyu then said.

Zerafa: “Remember what Ricky Hatton did?”

At which point, a furious Tszyu said: “Don’t talk about that fight man. Don’t talk about that.”

Zerafa responded: “I’m just saying, remember what happened?

“You remember what happened in that fight.

“Micky Hatton’s rocking up ....”

To which Tszyu simply deadpanned: “We’ll see.”

Later, Zerafa added that he was not taking anything away from the eldest Tszyu, saying: “You can’t take nothing away, Kostya’s a legend.

“Even if me and Tim completely hated each other, can’t take nothing away from his old man.

“His old man’s a legend and put the sport pretty much on the map (in Australia). Dominated the best in the world. Hall of Famer.”

Zerafa then continued of the Hatton showdown, however: “Looking back on that fight, they fight very similar, him and his old man.

“There’s ways to beat Tim.

“Tim’s human. You cut him, he bleeds red.

“He’s got two arms and a head and has a heartbeat just like me.

“I’ve seen a lot of things going back on Tim’s fights, going back on Kostya’s fights. They’re very similar. Very similar.”

Tszyu responded: “One thing is watching. The other thing is when you actually get into the ring. Completely different story.”

Asked afterwards about Zerafa’s comments, Tszyu had told Fox Sports Australia: “It’s a bad memory.

“It’s not a good day in our family history.

“I don’t like to talk about it. And it’s personal.

“So look, I’ll make sure that that doesn’t ever happen in this family ever again.

Asked if he expects Zerafa to bring up the matter again, he said: “It’s not up to me. I’ll make sure if he does he’ll pay for it.”

Zerafa, meanwhile, seemed shocked that his opponent was so upset by the issue.

Asked if he intended to bring the fight up again during the build, he replied: “The fact that it was personal… no.

“I didn’t mean it to come across that way.

“I’m just saying that stylistically, comparing the fights – himself and his dad – they’re very similar.”

“Which is great, that’s an honour.

“But they’re human and they can be beaten, that’s the point I was trying to put across.

“Ricky Hatton came out and got the decision and (my) gameplan is going to be pretty similar.”

Motivation can be a hard thing to come by in boxing, especially when coming off a loss.

The rebuilding phase can take time. Confidence-building fights often take place away from the bright lights and the big stage. Purses diminish. The bandwagon empties. All but the rusted-on fans disappear.

No one knows this better than Michael Zerafa, who is coming off a second-round knockout loss to WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara in March.

But the 32-year-old Zerafa (31-5, 19 KOs) has plenty to be fighting for when he takes on 41-year-old fellow Australian Tommy Browne (45-8-2, 19 KOs) at the ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney, Australia, next Wednesday night in an eight-round bout on the Nikita Tszyu versus Koen Mazoudier undercard.

“My preparation has been great,” Zerafa told The Ring. “I’ve trained according to the fight. I’m not overtraining; I’m training real smart. I’ve got the mind firing, the motivation has kicked in. I feel good.

“Tommy Browne is a tough guy. Credit to him for taking the fight. I know he’s going to come to fight, and I don’t look past anybody. I’ve got a job to do next Wednesday on the 28th, and that’s all I’m focused on.”

Browne is a hardheaded and durable type who was once a featherweight contender two decades ago. The Sydneysider has won three bouts in a row against mediocre opponents with a combined record of 24-21 and doesn’t look to pose too many problems for Zerafa, but the Melburnian insists he is not looking past him.

“I never look for the knockout,” said Zerafa, who will be boxing at a catchweight of 157 pounds. “I just do my thing and try to set the traps. If I take them into deep waters, I’ll drown them. But if I see a knockout opportunity early, I’ll take it. 

“It’s nothing I look for. I’m just going there to make a bit of a statement.

“Look, I know he’s tough and he’s going to come to fight. I like that; it brings out the best in me. When a guy comes with the dog in him, I fire up.”

In the Lara fight, Zerafa was boxing well enough until the Cuban southpaw timed him with a left-hand bomb that detonated on his chin late in the second stanza. Zerafa hit the deck, and although he made it to his feet at the count of nine, he stumbled back into a neutral corner, forcing referee Allen Huggins to wave off the contest at the 2:59 mark.

“It was a hard pill to swallow,” Zerafa said of the loss that took place on the undercard of the Tim Tszyu-Sebastian Fundora fight. “To go out like that was tough. But that’s just the sport. You’ve got to take the wins when you win, and you’ve got to take the losses as if you won. You’ve got to have that same mentality. 

“You can’t just throw it all in. It’s still an achievement. You can’t just throw it all in and say, ‘I’m done’ and retire. Even though I lost and had a little sook in the back and whatnot, I didn’t look at the negatives. I said, ‘You know what, I fought Lara. I fought a guy who arguably beat Canelo Alvarez [and is] one of the best fighters to ever come out of Cuba, a future Hall of Famer. Look where I’m fighting; I’m at T-Mobile Arena.’ It’s an achievement. So as much as it was a loss, it’s a win. Not many people, if any, get the opportunity to do what I have done. It was amazing.”

Browne is more than just an opponent for Zerafa, who knows that an impressive win on a big domestic card like this will breathe new life into his career. Victory could lead him directly into a fight against rising junior middleweight Nikita Tszyu (9-0, 7 KOs) and potentially a long-overdue shot at ex-WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) in the future.

“I can’t say too much,” said Zerafa when pressed on the details of his new three-fight deal with promoter No Limit. “I’m not too sure what I can and can’t say. There’s been back and forth, a few documents floating around. But there’s a Tszyu name on there – I don’t know if I can or can’t say – but look, there’s a three-fight plan and their names are on it, yes.” 

Tim Tszyu’s younger brother Nikita has been developed into a domestic-level star. With his all-action, march-forward style, the man nicknamed “The Butcher” is already headlining local pay-per-view shows. 

Mazoudier (12-3-1, 5 KOs) would be a good scalp for the 26-year-old southpaw to claim at this stage of his career, but Zerafa warns against comparisons.

“Nikita’s still inexperienced,” said Zerafa. “He’s still growing. He’s doing great things, but like I said, the Mazoudier fight is going to be a big test for him, because Mazoudier moves; he’s tough; he boxes well. And like you’ve mentioned, Nikita does get hit a lot.”

He added: “Out of his last six, I think [Nikita] has been hurt or dropped in four of them. I’m a different caliber to the guys he’s been fighting. The guys he’s been fighting have been tough and they walk forward, but I think I’m on a different level.

“Everyone is going off my last performance, but prior to that, me beating Jeff [Horn], me beating [Issac] Hardman, me beating all these other guys they put in front of me, it’s easily forgotten. 

“But, again, I’m focusing on Tommy Browne. I don’t really care about Nikita; he’s got his own problem in front of him.”

The Hardman mention is an interesting one. Two years ago, Hardman, who was 12-0 with 10 knockouts at the time, thought Zerafa would be the perfect stepping stone at that stage of his career. It was a massive miscalculation by the Queenslander and his team. Hardman was stopped in two rounds.

“Everyone says, ‘Nikita’s a big puncher, Nikita’s this and Nikita’s that.’ Horn was the same,” said Zerafa. “He walks forward, he was strong, he was tough, he was the guy who beat Manny Pacquiao. Then you’ve got guys like Hardman, who is strong, tough, likes to walk forward and was much bigger than me. It’s the same; it didn’t end very well for him. So let them think that, let them do what they’ve got to do. They’ve got their own problems to worry about. I just focus on what I’ve got to do. My career is just like driving. I just focus on what I’ve got to do; I don’t worry about the other drivers on the road.”

With the added incentive of a Tszyu fight being dangled in front of him, Zerafa says he is taking a more scientific approach to this camp.

“I’m actually training harder, because I’m doing everything smarter,” said Zerafa, who will have a new corner for this fight, consisting of head coach Josh Arnold, Stretton Boxing Club’s Glenn Rushton and Matt Partridge.

“When I was younger, I used to get up in the morning and do a 25km (15 mile) run, then try to spar and then try to run again. I used to cook my body. Now, I’ve got a proper plan in place, proper recovery, and a chef who is cooking all my meals now, according to how I train. Everything has just been on point and I’m feeling really good.

“I’m walking out after training sessions wanting to do more after putting in two-and-a-half hours in the gym. So I feel amazing. And come Wednesday night, I’m going to leave it all out there in the ring.”

An audition for a big fight on a nationally televised card. What more motivation could a boxer need?

Australian-based boxing journalist Anthony Cocks has been covering the sport for over 20 years for various print and online publications. Follow him on X.

Top 6 Pound for Pound

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Michael Zerafa is heading into fight week with guns blazing as he looks to return to the winners’ circle when he faces Tommy Browne in Sydney next Wednesday.

The recent world title challenger again hit out at long-time rival Tim Tszyu, while also firing back at Koen Mazoudier, the man who will face Nikita Tszyu in the main event.

Wishing to challenge the narrative that Tim Tszyu is being avoided by potential opponents, Zerafa said several fighters had reached out to him following his comments regarding the failed negotiations between Tszyu’s camp and Erickson Lubin.

MORE: Opetaia and Nicolson lock in world title defences

“Do you know how many people, including Lubin himself, messaged me?” Zerafa told Sporting News.

“I had Charlos, proper fighters reaching out to me, promoters, trainers, everyone saying, ‘Spot on.’

“One opponent, you say, ‘He ran scared.’ Whatever, it happens all the time. But every opponent?

“The people that he’s saying are running scared from him end up fighting bigger and better names. 

“He said ‘this guy pulled out’ and then he goes and fights Canelo. 

“Tszyu’s just sitting there saying, ‘They’ve run scared. Another one’s run scared.’ And people are believing this nonsense.

“I don’t even know what to say, I genuinely don’t even know what to say anymore. No matter what I say, people will go, ‘Zerafa this and Zerafa that.’ I don’t know.

“I heard him in an interview say that Canelo Alvarez is running scared from him, and Terence Crawford. 

“Like surely people aren’t believing this? Surely. I don’t know, man. It’s got me stuffed.”

Zerafa is fighting for the first time since his second-round knockout defeat to Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight world title in Las Vegas back in March.

Mazoudier accused Zerafa of “quitting” in that fight in an interview with News Corp last month, adding that the Victorian had previously turned down the opportunity to fight him.

“We’re talking about a guy that came out of a nut house,” Zerafa said when asked about Mazoudier’s comments, referencing the Sydneysider’s public mental health struggles. 

“I don’t really have too much to say, I don’t really care, he’s talking about me quitting in Vegas for a world title, somewhere he’ll never see, so it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Zerafa confirmed Mazoudier was one of several names offered to him for a short-notice bout in late 2022.

“He’s delusional. They asked me to fight Mazoudier amongst seven others,” he added.

“I only had two weeks for that fight, they offered me Ben Mahoney, they offered me Wade Ryan, who I’ve already fought, they offered me Mazoudier.

“I said for these guys, I need more than two weeks and I told Mazoudier that. I’ll fight [Danilo] Creati who’s an undefeated fighter who nearly beat Nikita. 

“I didn’t cherry pick, I just chose a more comfortable opponent in terms of the time limit that I had.”

While he wouldn’t confirm the specifics of a three-fight deal with No Limit Boxing, Zerafa hopes a bout with Nikita Tszyu will follow this one, pending them both getting through their respective opponents next week.

Now 32, Zerafa said he’d taken valuable lessons from his loss in Vegas earlier this year and he appears to be sitting more comfortably in his role as the villain in Australian boxing’s pantomime.

“I just feel good. That loss, as much as I never wanted, I needed it,” he said.

“Being out of the ring for 16 months, I got real complacent, I got real repetitive. 

“I kept telling myself I’d done a 16-month camp and then when I got out there I just was not prepared. 

“Anyone that knows boxing knows that when I’m on, I’m a very hard person to beat. 

“It’s going to be an intense week, I can already feel it. From Sunday to Wednesday, it’s going to be intense. I love it.”

And has he got a post-fight callout ready to go should he get the win on Wednesday night?

“100 per cent,” he said.

“You’ll hear it, nice and loud and you’ll hear all the boos in there too, we’ll get them going.”

Tom Naghten is a senior editor for The Sporting News Australia. Australia’s Tim Tszyu has branded arch rival Michael Zerafa “sad” for trying to chase a fight with his younger brother Nikita – while also taking a dig at the former world title challenger for now having to fight on the undercard of both brothers.

Only a day after Zerafa took aim at the nation’s No.1 fighting family – by again reviving a sledge involving Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu’s last loss – video has emerged of Tim putting the Melburnian in his own crosshairs.

Speaking recently from his Las Vegas training camp, ‘The Soul Taker’ told Main Event’s Ben Damon that he was surprised to hear about Zerafa fighting on the undercard of Nikita’s latest national title defence against Koen Mazoudier in Sydney next Wednesday.

BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU V MAZOUDIER | WED 28 AUG 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

It comes after the polarising ‘Pretty Boy’ last fought on the Las Vegas undercard of Tim Tszyu’s upset world title loss against Sebastian Fundora in March.

While the older Tszyu sibling has landed a second title shot -- facing IBF champ Bakhram Murtazaliev in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, October 20 (Australian time) -- Zerafa is now returning to the ring against veteran Tommy Browne.

Told that the man who famously walked out of an all-Australian headliner against him three years ago was now back on another Tszyu card, the 29-year-old superstar replied: “Zerafa? On Nikita’s undercard?”

Then, laughing, he continued of the fella who was knocked out by WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara in March: “Oh, poor fella … the ship has sailed, huh.”

Tszyu, added, however, he would welcome his brother fighting Zerafa should both men win next Wednesday.

“I’d love to (see it),” the fighter said when asked about No Limit putting together an all-Australian bout between the pair.

“Nikita makes me nervous already.

“But if it leads to Zerafa, that’s pretty cool for Nikita.

“And pretty sad for Zerafa.

“Nikita is real early in his career and he’s a 30-fight veteran.”

And as for Tim Tszyu versus Zerafa ever eventuating, as his longtime rival keeps stressing will take place?

“That’s gone man,” he grinned. “Forget the name.”

While, officially, Zerafa is set to face Browne next Wednesday, the bigger storyline involves a three-fight deal the Aussie boxing bad boy has inked with No Limit – with showdowns with both Tszyu boys the end goal.

Speaking with Main Event’s Ben Damon recently, Zerafa branded the Tszyu brothers “weird” while also vowing to revive the worst memory in their family’s proud fight history, declaring: “Micky Hatton is back … Micky Hatton never left”.

BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU V MAZOUDIER | WED 28 AUG 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

It follows a sledge he threw at Tszyu three years ago, when the pair were supposed to fight in Newcastle, involving dad Kostya’s career-ending loss to Englishman Ricky Hatton way back in 2005.

During a now infamous ‘Face Off’ interview between the pair, Zerafa took aim at Tszyu by declaring he was readying to do what Hatton did to his famous father – and end his career in shocking fashion.

Asked about the line when interviewed by Damon this week, Zerafa laughed: “Micky Hatton is back … Micky Hatton never left”.

Pushed on the original Hatton line, Zerafa said: “My brain works in weird ways.

“(Laughs) I might be just as weird as these Tszyu boys.

“But look, it worked.

“I dropped one line, and that’s the pulling power I want.”

Way back in 2005, Kostya Tszyu was shockingly upset by Englishman Hatton in front of 22,000 screaming fans at Manchester Arena.

While Hatton was a huge underdog, the Brit produced the fight of his life through 11 rounds before, down on the scorecards, Tszyu failed to emerge from the corner, with his trainer Johnny Lewis throwing in the towel.

While Tszyu snr never officially announced his retirement that night, or in the days after, it remains the last fight of his Hall of Fame career.

And it was that moment Zerafa decided to revive during a 2021 interview that saw the pair square off inside Fox Sports Australia’s Sydney studios.

Without prompting, Zerafa started: “I’m Micky Zerafa … it’s f***ing Micky Hatton rocking up. I’m taking over.”

A shocked Tszyu replied that “Pacquaio is going to rock up”, a reference to the Filipino legend who famously beat Hatton in 2009.

“Remember what Pacquaio did to (Ricky) Hatton?” Tszyu then said.

Zerafa: “Remember what Ricky Hatton did?”

At which point, a furious Tszyu said: “Don’t talk about that fight man. Don’t talk about that.”

Zerafa responded: “I’m just saying, remember what happened?

“You remember what happened in that fight.

“Micky Hatton’s rocking up ....”