A fed-up Tim Tszyu has hit back at Michael Zerafa's taunts and boycott threats, vowing to silence his trash-talking rival once and for all next month.
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After striking a nerve with insensitive comments about Tszyu's father early in the week, now Zerafa says he won't even step into the ring for their July 7 grudge match in Newcastle if veteran referee John Cauchi is appointed to control the fight.
Two years on and Zerafa still maintains Cauchi cost him a million-dollar pay day in a controversial loss to Jeff Horn in Brisbane in 2019.
"In all honesty, we don't need refs. This fight won't need refs. This fight won't need judges. It's not going past 10 (rounds)," Tszyu said on Friday.
"He's just got a big mouth. What I like to do with big mouths is punch them in the face."
Undefeated in his 18 professional fights, with 14 knockouts, Tszyu doesn't believe Zerefa is serious anyway about not showing up in Newcastle.
"Look, he's been an ex-girlfriend for the last three years following me around. He can't get my name out of his mouth. And in the last two weeks now they're talking about refs and this," Tszyu said.
"He's had a lot to say over the past three years. The pressure's on him.
"He's the one that's been saying that I'm this and I'm that and that he's going to beat me, that he's the best blah blah blah.
"It's all nonsense."
Zerafa thinks he rattled Tszyu with his promise on Monday to "do a Micky Hatton" on him 16 years after Englishman Ricky Hatton brutally ended the legendary career of the 26-year-old's famous father Kostya.
"It didn't really rattle me," Tszyu said.
"Nothing gets under my skin. I just thought some things are disrespectful. Some things you don't mention, especially when it's involved with family.
"Maybe he's regretting what he's saying. He's going to pay for everything he gets anyway."
Australian Associated Press
