Soft and insecure.
That’s Tim Tszyu’s honest assessment of Michael Zerafa less than a month out from their blockbuster showdown on July 7.
Coming off an impressive win over Dennis Hogan in March, Tszyu will be back fighting in his adopted second city of Newcastle as he continues his quest for a super welterweight world title.
Tszyu’s win over Jeff Horn last August propelled him up the rankings at 154-pounds and he’s had one eye on the belt holders in the division ever since. Meanwhile, Zerafa spent the better part of eight months chasing a fight with the rising Sydneysider.
On social media, YouTube and even in person after his win over Bowyn Morgan in December, Tszyu says Zerafa’s campaign made him seem like a nagging ex-girlfriend before the bout was finally made official in May.
One of Australian boxing’s great salesmen, Zerafa provided fireworks at the press conference announcing the fight, but Tszyu says he’s barely heard a peep from him since then.
Not a good sign, he says.
“He can’t control his emotions, that’s all it is,” Tszyu tells Sporting News.
“He’s a very up and down type of guy. One day he’s this, the next day he’s that.
“This sport’s for warriors. It’s not for little softies and I believe he is soft.”
Those comments might seem harsh, but it’s a glimpse into Tszyu’s mindset and the way he approaches the sport.
His dad was the same. There’s no time for getting caught up in feelings or emotion. Things are what they are, and how you deal with them is the only thing that matters.
“You can’t have emotion in boxing,” he says.
“You can’t be like that. You’ve gotta be stone cold. If you can’t control your emotions then, what’s going to happen in a boxing ring?
“You can’t have feeling. You can’t feel sorry. It just doesn’t work.
“Deep inside himself, he’s soft and insecure, and that’s the part I have to exploit.”
His reaction to finding out about Zerafa’s hospitalisation last month is similarly telling.
“My reaction? Nothing. Literally nothing,” he says.
“No emotion, no feeling. I have no love, no hate towards it at all. I couldn’t care less.”
Constantly compared to his legendary father, Tszyu’s goals and ambitions are loftier than most.
He doesn’t want a world title. He wants all the world titles.
He doesn’t want to just become a world champion. He wants to remain a world champion for years.
In his eyes, that’s not what Zerafa’s in the sport for.
“It’s about testing yourself and fighting the very best,” Tszyu says.
“He fights for good reasons – for his family – but a lot of it is to do with the Conor McGregor type thing. Just making as much noise and money as possible.
“He started chasing a fight with me and he was just trying to get as much attention and YouTube views as he possibly can.
“That’s what’s important to him.”
Case in point: Zerafa’s first-round knockout win over Anthony Mundine earlier this year.
“That was stupid. It’s not right to punch old grandpas,” Tsyzu says.
“That type of fight shows he’s not fighting the best. He could’ve fought someone else in Australia. Someone young and up and coming.
“But no, he decides to fight Mundine due to money and attention.
“Like I said, there’s different reasons and that Mundine fight proves it.”