Michael Zerafa wasn't feeling up to contacting their longtime nearby competitor Tim Tszyu Following his victory as the WBO middleweight champion, he embraced his new identity.
Zerafa secured a victory over lesser-known German Besir Ay through technical knockout in the seventh round, in front of local supporters at their hometown arena. The Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night .
The 32-year-old dominated the match from the start and then shattered his opponent with a powerful uppercut, succeeded by a right-hand hook that had Ay staggering on the mat.
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Ay survived two significant knockdowns with the referee counting him out before the fight was stopped.
The win was one Zerafa had been pursuing in Sydney, yet his performance inside the ring proved more challenging than many observers anticipated.
The Aussie acknowledged after the game that he was worried about potentially breaking his hand during the second round but chose to tough out the discomfort and secure the win.
"I believe I injured my hand on his head during round two, but we continue," he stated.
I noticed it happened in round two and then I began focusing more on their head... but that’s how things went.
The performance was somewhat lacking. I secured the victory, it doesn’t matter how.
Zerafa (33-5) has maintained a villainous image during his sporting journey, yet appeared to shed this character when questioned about his upcoming opponent in the ring.
He mentioned that the primary question he often receives is about Tim Tszyu.
I'm aware he's within this building, but honestly, I have no issue with him.
Tszyu is considering a possible match against Keith Thurman down the line but first needs to overcome America's Joey Spencer when they fight on April 6 in Newcastle.
It was anticipated that Zerafa would aim to be on track for a potential clash with Tszyu in the boxing ring; however, he admitted that he is prepared to back his compatriot fighter instead.
"He has a major bout approaching, and being an Australian, I'll be supporting him," Zerafa started.
He hasn’t done anything to me. Clearly, when we compete against one another, our aim is to knock each other’s blocks off. However, he is an outstanding athlete. I’m not planning on saying anything negative about Tim.
I usually come off as the hero, but every now and then, we need some antagonists – and I’m glad to step into that part. This game is tough, really challenging. We risk our physical well-being out there.
