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Thirty years after father Kostya Tszyu made his boxing debut in Australia, the 24-year-old Nikita will get his professional boxing journey underway with a super-welterweight clash at Nissan Arena.

Watch No Limit on Fox Boxing: Nikita Tszyu v Aaron Stahl Live on Kayo Thu 3rd Mar from 7PM. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

“It’s just so exciting. It’s also a privilege. It was 30 years ago (when) Kostya made his pro debut here in Australia, and here we are sitting with his youngest boy Nikita,” manager Glen Jennings said this week.

“It’s a bit of history here and everyone should embrace that. It’s very fortunate for the Australian boxing community to have that luxury three times over – to watch the Tszyu family perform.

Brother Tim, who earlier today revealed the official details of his US debut, told foxsports.com.au: “Nikita’s got really heavy hands, He’s got dad’s power – maybe even more in all honesty.

“I’ve been hit by a few people, but when I felt Nikita’s shots, I was like, ‘f*** man, he’s not even trying to punch hard, but it’s just heavy’.”

Meanwhile, Tim Tszyu’s US debut is finally locked in for a week later than first planned as he looks to show the boxing world what he’s got.

Tszyu will face US Olympian Terrell Gausha on March 27 Australian time (March 26 US time) in Minneapolis as he looks to make a big statement on the world stage.

“He’s definitely the best fighter I (will) have fought … No risk no reward,” Tszyu said in a statement.

“I am not here to sit on my a***. I love challenges and I love tests.”

‘Decimated’: Aussie’s brutal ‘left hook from hell’

Australian boxer Liam Wilson has secured a thrilling TKO victory over world No. 6 Joe Noynay to claim the WBO Asia Pacific super featherweight title.

Wilson and Noynay faced off in August last year, with the latter clinching a fifth-round TKO win.

And on Thursday evening, Wilson finally got his redemption.

After knocking down Noynay early in the second round, the 25-year-old delivered the telling blow with a vicious left hook that sent his rival to the canvas.

Noynay lay motionless for a couple of seconds before desperately returning to his feet, but the Filipino’s trainers waved off the fight before he had a chance to protest.

“Liam Wilson has decimated Joe Noynay in Brisbane with the left hook from hell,” Fox Sports commentator Ben Damon cried.

“That is something else.

“We have seen one of the best knockouts in recent Australian boxing history.

“We cannot quite believe what we’ve seen.”

Noynay tipped the scales at 62.92kg on Wednesday, nearly four kilograms over the super-featherweight limit of 59kg, and not far off the super-lightweight maximum.

Despite some conjecture as to whether the fight should go ahead, Wilson was adamant he wanted the rematch.

“For eight months I’ve been thinking about this guy, more than my kids, and it was very draining,” Wilson said after the triumph.

“I couldn’t wait to get in here tonight and get rid of him out of my life.”

How to watch the fight

The full fight card will be available to watch on Fox Sports channel 505 or to stream on Kayo. A pay-per-view purchase is not required to watch this fight card.

Full fight card

Nikita Tszyu vs Aaron Stahl

Wade Ryan vs Dennis Hogan

Liam Wilson defeated Joe Noynay via TKO (R2)

Stevie Spark defeated River Diaz via (R6)

Danilo Creati defeated Cameron Hammond via unanimous decision (78-73, 79-71 x2)

Gallen was originally slated to fight Manly forward Josh Aloiai, but he withdrew from the bout after contracting Covid-19.

Watch Paul Gallen vs Darcy Lussick LIVE on Main Event available on Foxtel & Kayo, Wednesday 22nd December from 7pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

Lussick, who has just one boxing fight under his belt with a knockout victory over Justin Hodges, stepped up to the plate and will look to hand Gallen his second consecutive loss.

A crushing defeat to Justis Huni left the former Sharks star to lick his wounds, but in a few days time Gallen is hoping to rebound in a big way.

The 40-year-old knows for a fact he has experience on his side and it is an element of the fight that, according to Gallen, has Lussick quaking in his shoes.

“I think he’s s***ting himself,” Gallen said.

“He realises now he’s in for a fight.

“He knows it’s a good payday for him.

“He knows what is coming.”

Perhaps a big cheque at the end of the night may soften any potential blows suffered by Lussick, but it won’t stop an onslaught of punches from Gallen as soon as the bell sounds.

However, the one-time NRL premiership winner knows this is a fight he stands to gain very little from boxing fans.

“It is a lose-lose situation,” Gallen said.

“If I win, I was expected to win. If I lose, I will be ridiculed.

“I will be coming from the bell. I’ll be getting him early.”

Gallen no doubt would have preferred to touch up the face of Aloiai instead of Lussick, but he knows he will take what he can get on Wednesday night.

He even went as far as describing Lussick as a decent person, but it won’t stop Gallen from doing whatever it takes to secure a highlight reel finish.

“As a guy, you’re (Lussick) a good guy,” Gallen said.

“It’s nothing personal but I’ve got to smash you.

“It (the payday) is all you’re here for.

“He’s not going to be able to handle what’s coming.

“He’s in big trouble.

“I’m going to smash you.”

The YouTube sensation squares off against Woodley for the second time, having beaten the former UFC star via split decision back in August.

Watch Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley 2 LIVE on Main Event available on Foxtel & Kayo, Sunday 19th December from 1pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

That victory extended Paul’s professional boxing record to 4-0 and he’ll be hoping to remain unbeaten after today’s clash in Cleveland.

Coverage of the full fight card begins from 1pm AEDT, with Paul and Woodley expected to enter the ring around 3pm — though it could be as late as 4pm.

You can watch the fight by purchasing the pay-per-view for $39.95 via Kayo or Foxtel’s Main Event.

Results

Amanda Serrano defeated Miriam Gutierrez by unanimous decision (10 rounds – lightweight)

Deron Williams defeated Frank Gore by split decision (4 rounds – heavyweight)

Liam Paro defeated Yomar Alamo by split decision (10 rounds – super-lightweight)

J’Leon Love defeated Marcus Oliveira via unanimous decision (8 rounds – cruiserweight)

Chris Avila defeated Anthony Taylor via majority decision (4 rounds – light-heavyweight)

Jeovanny Estela defeated Chris Rollins via unanimous decision (4 rounds – welterweight)

Chaos erupts ringside as TikTok stars booted out

Social media stars Kodiyakredd and Flyysoulja — the “Island Boy” rappers — were reportedly caught up in some chaos in the crowd.

Paul enlisted the duo’s help to remix their famous tune and build up some hype for his fight against Woodley but they may have been too juiced up on Sunday.

Seated ringside in Cleveland, other fans in attendance reportedly started throwing drinks at them. Unconfirmed reports suggested they threw things back in retaliation, before being escorted out by security.

Serrano takes the win

Amanda Serrano beat Miriam Gutierrez via unanimous decision in their 10-round lightweight bout.

Both fighters gave it everything, and late in the clash had blood streaming from their faces in what was an epic battle

NFL, NBA star knocked out of ring in boxing barnburner

Fans were baying for blood in the electric four-round showdown between ex-NFL star Frank Gore and former NBA player Deron Williams in what was both men’s boxing debut.

Late in the second round Gore was knocked down and fell through the ropes, out of the ring. Commentators were reminding the pair this was boxing, not the WWE.

Then it was Williams’ turn to get shoved out of the ring, nearly taking a tumble through the ropes too.

“What is going on?” one commentator said.

The pair were throwing haymakers at every opportunity. There was no being cagey and dancing around — it was all about throwing as many punches, as hard as they could, as often as possible.

It was absolutely wild and Williams scored a split decision win (40-35, 38-37, 37-38).

‘Aussie invasion’ in full swing

Aussie Liam Paro made his mark on the undercard, extending his undefeated streak to 22 fights as he overcame Yomar Alamo via split deicison.

Two of the three judges favoured Paro’s work in the close contest, awarding him a 95-94, 94-95, 96-93 victory as he made an impressive comeback after suffering a first round knockdown.

Paro wanted to emulate George Kambosos, a fellow Aussie who put America on notice with his incredible win over Teofimo Lopez last month.

“He wanted the Aussie invasion to continue,” an American commentator said.

Paul eyes Mayweather with $1 billion payday

Paul is eyeing Floyd Mayweather’s crown as the richest fighter of all time — setting his sights on $1 billion in career earnings.

Mayweather retired officially in 2017 with a historic 50-0 record and as the pay-per-view king. His last fight, a 10th round stoppage against Conor McGregor is what he claimed made him a billionaire.

But for all Mayweather’s unrivalled ability and persona, he did not headline on pay-per-view until 2005, when he was aged 28 and 34 fights into his career.

Paul has divided opinions with his 4-0 record, but has been a box office hit from the start. What cannot be denied is his pulling power, selling 1.5m pay-per-views in his first-round knockout against ex-UFC welterweight Ben Askren.

Paul is confident the path he is currently on leaves him in a position to sensationally retire as the wealthiest fighter ever.

He told The Sun: “I do think I can hit the $1 billion prize-fighter mark, easily.

“All I’ve got to do is keep on winning — and I will keep on winning — and we’ll see.

“I think it’s very possible and that’s why I say there is no limit to where this can go. I have the ace up my sleeve. The ace up my sleeve is that I can actually fight.”

Paul debuted by blasting out online rival “AnEsonGib” in the first round in January 2020. He then followed it up with two showstopping KOs against ex-NBA star Nate Robinson and Askren, both 36.

His win over Askren proved to be the 10th highest-selling PPV fight of all time, only adding to Paul’s commercial value. He then went on to beat Woodley.

But despite the money to be made between the ropes, Paul warned he could hang up the gloves by 30 to start a family, and invest his time elsewhere.

He said: “It’s like, how long do I want to dedicate myself to these long, hard training camps? I see it happening for the next five, six years.

“But I want to have a family eventually. At the end of the day I’m an entrepreneur, so I can make money any way I want.

“It’s not like boxing is my only outlet. I’m doing it because I love it and I’m having fun.

“It would be nice to hit 10-0 and retire but we’ll see. This is just the start of my journey, not even the sky, there are no limits to this.

“I’m just enjoying each moment, each fight and taking it as I go.”

The Sun

The Aussie takes on Takeshi Inoue in Sydney on Wednesday night in what looms as a blockbuster fight between two high quality opponents.

Watch Tim Tszyu vs Takeshi Inoue LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo and Foxtel, Wednesday 17th November from 7pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

The Japanese fighter represents the toughest challege of Tszyu’s career, in which he is undefeated from 19 bouts.

In typical fashion, both fighters have come out and said they will knock the other out, but Tszyu’s comments show how little regard he has for Inoue, describing him as a “small little boy”.

“It’s a similar type of style to Brian Castano, that walk forward, small little boy, big muscly and swinging type of style,” Tszyu said at a pre-fight press conference.

“It’s going to be a good test to that world stage and he (Inoue) is a world calibre opponent. I respect everything he has done.

“I’ve come into this sport not to achieve (just) a world title, but world titles in multiple divisions.”

After being named the WBO’s mandatory challenger for Castano’s super welterweight belt, Tszyu could have waited for his title shot with the Argentine in early 2022 but wants to stay active, saying: “I’ve got things to do, things to achieve, bodies to punch and faces to hurt and that’s what I’m going to do.

“I’m here for the long run.

“I’m in that mode now, in that zone and I just want to hurt people … I said before (the fight will finish) under six rounds, but we will see.

“If I want to hurt him for a bit longer, I will decide. We will see on the night.”

There were more fighting words at the weigh-in, where Tszyu hit the scales at 69.52kg and Inoue registered 69.86kg. The Aussie said the fight “only ends one way” as he threatened his opponent with some serious damage.

“Let him do what he wants. One thing I know is I’m coming for his head, and his body and everything,” Tszyu said.

“I’m coming for him.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the Tszyu vs Inoue fight.

When is the fight?

The main card for the Tszyu-Inoue fight is scheduled to get underway on Wednesday 17 November at 7pm (AEDT).

The undercard will commence at 6pm and the main card will start at 7pm.

Depending on how long the other fights on the card go for, Tszyu and Inoue will likely enter the ring a couple hours later, by around 10pm. Although it’s not an exact science.

Where is the fight taking place?

The fight will be held at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

How can I stream the fight?

You can watch the Tszyu-Inoue fight on Foxtel’s Main Event (channel 521) or stream it on Kayo, both for $59.95 pay-per-view.

Tale of the tape

Tszyu has an excellent 19-0 record (with 15 knockouts), while the only blemish on Inoue’s 17-1-1 record is a tough loss to Jaime Munguia in 2019 in their WBO light middleweight fight.

At 27, the Aussie is four years younger than Inoue.

Tszyu’s most recent win was against Stevie Spark in July while Inoue’s last victory was over Nath Nwachukwu in November 2020.

What are the betting odds?

Tszyu is an almost unbackable favourite to keep his undefeated record in tact, paying just $1.06 with the bookies to win, while Inoue is a rank outsider at $7.50.

Here are the odds for the method of victory:

Tszyu Points or Decision: $4

Tszyu KO/TKO: $1.40

Draw $34

Inoue Points or Decision: $15

Inoue KO/TKO: $14

Main fight card

— Tim Tszyu vs Takeshi Inoue, 10 rounds, super welterweight – Tszyu’s WBO Global title, WBO Asia Pacific title

— Wade Ryan vs Nath Nwachukwu, 10 rounds, super welterweight – vacant IBO Intercontinental title

— Joel Camilleri vs. Koen Mazoudier, 8 rounds, super welterweight

— Dennis Hogan vs. Tommy Browne, 6 rounds, super welterweight

Undercard

Jackson Murray vs Shant Nercessian, 4 rounds, heavyweight

Viviana Ruiz Corredor vs. Jacinta Austin, 4 rounds, bantamweight

Alex Lual vs Trent Girdham, 4 rounds, welterweight

Benjamin Hussain vs Darwin Sagurit, 4 rounds, super welterweight

The bad blood was palpable between the pair as they faced off for the final time before the highly-anticipated clash at the MGM Grand on Sunday Australian time.

Watch Canelo Álvarez vs. Caleb Plant LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo and Foxtel, Sunday 7th November from 12pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

The tension was clear as the pair jawed at each other but were held at a distance after a press conference face off left Plant’s eye bloodied in September.

But it didn’t stop the pair from getting in each other’s faces, despite the distance as Plant talked the big talk ahead of the clash.

Canelo’s record is clear — a four-weight world champion and WBA, WBC and WBO super-middleweight titleholder with a 56-1-2 record — but IBF champ Plant is in for a real fight.

At least that’s the general consensus, despite Canelo being a hot favourite to add another belt and more history to his already legendary career.

The winner of the fight will become just the sixth fighter since the WBO began sanctioning fights to hold all four belts from any division.

Only Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight), Bernard Hopkins (middleweight), Jermain Taylor (middleweight), Terence Crawford (super-lightweight) and Josh Taylor (super-lightweight) have held all four belts at once.

And Plant isn’t shying away from the bright lights, taking on the villain role against the wildly popular Canelo as fans booed the 29-year-old American.

“I love it (being the underdog),” Plant said in response. “You can cheer for me all you want, you can boo for me all you want.

“Remember, it’s easy to sit in those seats, it ain’t easy to stand up here. Remember that.”

Bringing a perfect 21-0 record to the fight, including three title defences, Plant is incredibly confident of stealing Canelo’s history.

“Saturday night you get your first undisputed champ and his name is Caleb Plant,” he said.

Asked about any nerves, Plant replied: “Come on, man. This is what I do. I was born for this. This is my destiny.”

It comes after Plant declared he would be capable of springing a surprise against Alvarez, who battered Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders into submission with an eight-round stoppage in Arlington, Texas, in his last fight.

“I have to get the job done by any means necessary,” Plant said. “That’s what me and my team have done so far to get to this point. Whether it’s boxing or in life, I’ve gotten here by any means necessary.

“I’ve been the underdog before. It’s a place I like to be. I like people rooting against me. It gives me extra motivation, but when you’re fighting for undisputed status, you don’t need much more motivation than that.”

And he impressed to commentators.

Showtime’s Brian Custer said: “Man, I’ll tell you what, Caleb Plant is one confident young man. Listen, we know he’s a champion, first time on this kind of stage but I’ll tell you what, I like his confidence.”

Former World Champ Abner Mares added that “You can see it, sense it in his eyes, body language, this guy’s ready for this fight.”

As for Canelo, who weighed in right on the 168 pound limit and one pound heavier than Plant, it’s business as usual.

But he was asked about why he and Plant hated each other, offering a cryptic response.

“Like I’ve said before, for every action there is a reaction. I always have good blood inside of me,” Alvarez said.

Canelo was also asked by fighthype.com, about Plant’s lack of respect, saying: “I don’t care. If he’s like that, I don’t care. He’s going to pay in the ring tomorrow.”

— with AFP

When is the fight on?

The Alvarez vs Plant fight card gets underway at 12pm on Sunday (AEDT). Alvarez and Plant are expected to do their ring walk around 2.30pm, depending on the other earlier fights.

How to watch the fight?

The fight will be broadcast on Foxtel’s Main Event Channel 507 for pay-per-view $59.95.

You can also stream the fight on Kayo for the same PPV price.

There is not a hint of snarling thuggishness about the clean-cut 31-year-old as he emerges from an intense training session at the UFC campus here.

“When you come here there’s no fighting over lunch or anything silly like that,” he says with a laugh.

“You’re always going to catch those sorts of blokes, you know, think they’re tough guys, in fight gyms but not here. Because what you need to succeed at this level is to act as a professional sportsman. Treat yourself as an athlete.”

And Hooker is the epitome of professional, relocating here from his native Auckland — where quarantines made competing even more difficult — to give himself his best shot at what he craves most: the world title.

Watch Live UFC with ESPN on Kayo. Full Fight Night Events, PPV Prelims, Ultimate Fighter Series & More. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >

“The facilities are pretty incredible,” he says, “There’s a whole nutrition team, makes your meals, tests you daily, there’s physios so you’ll recover quicker — the best physios in the world are here, and they know how to put you together — and there are strength and conditioning coaches.

“They treat it like an NFL team treats its players.”

UFC also controls its fighters but Hooker doesn’t have a problem with the organisation he first joined in 2014.

“If the ultimate goal is to be the best fighter in the world, you have to be in UFC,” he says.

Currently ranked sixth in the lightweight division, Hooker faces one of his greatest tests this weekend in Russian Islam Makhachev, who is currently ranked fifth and has 20 wins against just a lone loss.

Makhachev grew up in a remote part of Dagestan with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the recently retired UFC lightweight champion and one of the sport’s biggest names. Khabib, who was never defeated, now trains the 29-year-old Makhachev.

“It’s a big fight and it’ll be an exciting fight,” Hooker says.

“It’s an opportunity to move my way back towards the title and people will be watching because he’s Khabib’s protégé. There’s a lot of eyes on him, and he’s got an eight fight win streak, and a lot of momentum so he’s got a lot of heat coming in.

“But I look at it like I look at everything I do: an exciting challenge. It’s like a new puzzle I get to figure out. There comes a time in the UFC when you’ve had enough fights, you have enough experience that you’re confident in your abilities and you know what you can do.”

Hooker also knows there will be no surprises with Makhachev, who fights much like his mentor, Khabib.

“He is a specialist. He specialises in using strikes to set up take-downs, press you against the cage and take you down and control you from there from top position,” he says.

“That is his game, doesn’t matter who he’s fighting. He’s going to do the exact same thing, therefore it’s a lot easier to predict.

“That has been approach from day one, whereas the approach I’ve come from is to be great at all those disciplines and if you’re better at something, then I can move my chess pieces around and change it up. I just believe I’m a more well-rounded martial artist.”

Not that Hooker can’t mix it up. His five round bloody brawl with Dustin Poirer was considered the best fight of 2020 by many observers.

But, as with each of his 10 losses (against 21 wins), Hooker took away an important lesson.

“He’s a very fun man to fight and I got caught up having a bit too much fun,” he says.

“I felt like I was the more skilled fighter but I made the mistake of getting sucked in to the style of fight he likes. He likes to exchange. He lets you hit him just so he can hit you back.

“But I had to ask myself, do I want to be known as an exciting guy who gets into these brawls, or do I want to be champion of the world?

“That’s the fork in the road I was at. Just being a fun guy is not what I want to be known for. Your whole approach to the sport has to change and that’s what I have done. Where I was then to where I am now, I’m a totally different fighter.

“And to tell you the truth, I feel like I’m in my prime now.”

Originally published as UFC news: Dan Hooker says he has the all-round versatility to crack Islam Makhachev’s code

Fury is the favourite to defeat the American and retain his WBC heavyweight title.

Watch Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury III live on Main Event available on Foxtel and Kayo, Sunday 10th October from 12pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

Their first fight back in 2018 was a draw, then Fury dominated their second fight en route to a seventh-round knockout that emphatically ended Wilder’s five-year reign as WBC champion. Neither man has fought since that fight 20 months ago,

Both men will be their heaviest ever fighting weights when they clash and at Saturday’s weigh-in, Fury once again taunted Wilder with a stream of expletives and threats of a gruesome beating.

Asked what the significance of his heaviest ever weight would be, Fury replied: “It means total obliteration of a dosser.

“Total annihilation. That’s what it means to me … I’m going to put him in the Royal Infirmary after this fight, don’t worry about that.”

Asked for his prediction on how he expected the fight to go, Fury added: “With him severely hurt on the floor, smashed to bits, like he’s been run over by an 18-wheeler truck.

“Last time he complained he had cracked skull and an injured arm. Well I can’t wait for Saturday night. I’m really going to severely damage him. He’ll be unrecognisable after the fight. I’ll send him home butchered.”

Earlier this week, Fury (30-0-1, 21 knockouts) had played down the significance of his fighting weight, insisting he had prepared properly.

However Fury’s failure to remove his T-shirt during Friday’s weigh-in earned taunts from Wilder’s supporters, with one member of the challenger’s entourage shouting pointedly: “You fat, dude!”

Fury meanwhile dismissed Wilder’s decision to change trainers following his defeat to the Brit last year. Wilder is now trained by former heavyweight Malik Scott, who was himself knocked in one round by Wilder back in 2014.

“It’s one s***house teaching another shithouse how to bomb,” Fury said. “Both a pack of losers. And they both ain’t worth a sausage.”

Wilder for his part declined to engage with Fury’s goading, instead emphasising his calmer approach and “joyful” training camp.

“Calmness is the key to the storm,” Wilder said. “I know that when I’m not calm, my mind is cloudy. And when you’re mind is cloudy it allows you to make bad decisions. But when you’re calm you can weather the storm.

“I have rejuvenated myself and reinvented myself. Redemption is upon us. I can’t wait to show the world what I’m all about.”

Where is the fight being held?

Fury vs Wilder III will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

When is the fight?

Coverage of the full fight card starts at 12pm on Sunday (AEDT), with the Fury vs Wilder not scheduled to start before 2pm.

How to stream the fight?

You can watch the Fury-Wilder fight on Main Event or stream it on Kayo for $59.95 pay-per-view.

Tale of the tape

Both fighters have exceptional boxing records and have only lost one fight each.

Fury (30-0-1, 21 knockouts) is the favourite but astonishingly, Wilder (42-1-1, 41 knockouts) has claimed all of his victories by knockout, making him a serious threat in this fight.

Fury stands at 206cm, three centimetres taller than Wilder, while the Brit’s reach is five centimetres longer than his opponent’s.

At 35 years of age, Wilder is two years older than his British adversary.

What are the betting odds?

Fury is the heavy favourite with the bookies, paying $1.30 to win compared to Wilder at $3.30.

Here are some other markets for the method of victory.

Fury Points or Decision: $4

Fury KO/TKO: $1.91
Draw: $26
Wilder Points or Decision: $21
Wilder KO/TKO: $3.60

Full fight card

Jared Anderson vs Vladimir Tereshkin

Efe Ajagba vs Frank Sanchez

Robert Helenius vs Adam Kownacki

Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder

Zerafa withdrew from the pair’s blockbuster fight last month at the last minute due to Covid-19 concerns but he hasn’t given up on fighting Tszyu in the future.

Watch Pacquiao vs Ugas live on Main Event, available on Foxtel and Kayo on Sunday 22 August at 11am AEST. ORDER NOW >

Queenslander Stevie Spark replaced Zerafa at the 11th hour, but he was easily accounted for by Tszyu, who claimed afterwards he was finished fighting in Australia and turned his attention to finding an international opponent.

American Tony Harrison and Englishman Liam Smith are among the potential fighters Tszyu would like to take on next, preferably in Australia.

But the 26-year-old may have to shelve those plans given the Covid-19 outbreak in Australia shows no signs of slowing down soon.

Zerafa believes Tszyu is “living in a fantasy” with plans to fight the likes of Harrison or Smith.

“He wouldn’t last five rounds with a guy like Tony Harrison. I truly believe that. I’ve been overseas,” Zerafa told Wide World of Sports.

“He wants guys likes (Brian) Castano, (world champion Jermell) Charlo and Harrison and then there are guys in Australia that he struggled with. With guys like that Tszyu doesn’t last.

“Tszyu has been knocked down by Wade Ryan. I’m just talking like a boxing fan but I think he’s dreaming.

“I was there in front of him in Sydney he didn’t have nothing to say and then once the fight is off he wants to fight me bare knuckle. He found his balls.”

Zerafa doubts Tszyu will travel overseas for a fight and has again volunteered to fight his old foe, despite Tszyu ruling out any possibility of the pair meeting in the ring.

“They should definitely do that but they don’t want to leave Sydney,” he said.

“They want to be based in their hometown they don’t want to travel and do any of that.

“We are the next best in line in Australia. I believe we are the best but in his head I’m the next best.

“If he wants to fight the best I’m here. But make it fair. It was already a 70-30 split that we agreed on, by the end of it was 90-10.”

Zerafa also opened up on the criticism he copped for pulling out of the blockbuster fight with Tszyu, because he refused to travel from Melbourne to Newcastle due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney.

“I never pulled out of the fight, I never said no, all we said was they couldn’t deliver what was promised,” he said.

“It needed time and we asked for a postponement and within two hours they replaced me with somebody else.

“What was offered eight weeks prior to the fight and what was delivered one week out of the fight were two different things.

“I wanted the fight. I’m not here to change anybody’s opinion. There’s two sides to every story. I’ve fought bigger names for less money in worse conditions. I’ve never shied away from a fight.

“Who else is he going to fight now? He’s running out of 63kg fighters.

“He doesn’t want to leave his state or step up a division, he’ll only fight guys from lower divisions so he’s running out of options. I just want to shut him up, he does my head in.”

You can follow all our live updates below and read all the fight details and broadcast information here.

The undercard is scheduled to start from 7pm (AEST) at the ICC Exhibition Centre with the main event expected to begin after 10pm.

Watch Paul Gallen v Justis Huni on Main Event available on Foxtel and Kayo, Wednesday 16 June at 7pm AEST. ORDER NOW >

It was revealed just hours before the fight that Gallen will earn up to five-times the amount Huni will take home.

Reports emerged in recent weeks, Gallen was negotiating for an 85 per cent stake in the total fight purse, and The Courier-Mail reported Wednesday evening the 39-year-old NRL legend has almost got his way.

The report reveals Gallen will take home at least $1.1 million — and his purse could exceed $1.5 million if the pay per view sales exceed expectations.

Huni will also walk away with at least $300,000 — by far the biggest payday of his career.

The 22-year-old heavyweight champion-prospect was last month reportedly set to take home around $225,000, but the latest updates are very good news for his hip pocket.

‘Insane’ Gallen theory is pure disrespect

The highly-anticipated showdown took a turn on Wednesday morning when an intriguing theory emerged about how little respect Huni is giving his opponent.

Gallen has previously bristled about Huni’s decision to fight Christian Tsoye just three weeks before their battle — but that may be just the tip of the iceberg for how Huni is treating Gallen as a threat.

Main Event’s Ben Damon on Wednesday said there is talk around Australian boxing Huni is not even focused on building the punching power needed to score a stoppage win over Gallen and is instead focused on next month’s Tokyo Olympics where he is one of the favourites to win the gold medal in the super heavyweight class.

Huni has never won via knockout in his 4-0 professional record.

“There’s a theory around the power that maybe when he’s finished his Olympics campaign and he comes back as a full time professional and doesn’t have to worry about the point scoring system used by the Olympics any more and maybe he starts to do what’s called sit down on his punches a little bit more and throw with a little bit more power and use his hips and his body to get the absolute maximum power into his shots and then he might become that bigger puncher,” Damon told Sky Sports Radio.

“There’s a lot of risk. The fact he had a fight three weeks ago is insane.

“And now he’s looking at doing this and then getting on a flight to Tokyo.”

Gallen’s brutal sledge ahead of Huni showdown

Gallen has labelled Australian heavyweight champion Justis Hunt a “coward” ahead of their highly-anticipated pay-per-view bout.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the undefeated former rugby league star blasted Huni and his camp for overlooking the threat he provides.

“They’re No. 1 concern is the Olympics,” Gallen told reporters.

“I’m here to do everything I can to make sure you don’t go to the Olympics. Whether it’s break your jaw, break your face or break your arm, I don’t care what it is. I’m going to do everything I can to break something in you so you don’t go to the Olympics.

“That dream since you’ve been seven years old is going to be f***ed.

“I don’t care what the referee does. I’m going to try and ruin your dream.

“All I do is find that chink in the armour, and I expose it.

“I’m going to do everything I can to finish him. I’m determined to hurt him.”

Gallen vs Huni full fight card

Paul Gallen (11-0-1, 6 KO), vs Justis Huni (4-0, 3 KO) — 10 rounds

Issac Hardman (10-0, 8 KO) vs Emmanuel Carlos (12-1, 7 KO) — 10 rounds

Andrei Mikhailovic (15-0, 8 KO) vs Alex Hanan (13-0, 7 KO) — 8 rounds

Sam Goodman (8-0, 4 KO) vs Nort Beauchamp (18-4, 3 KO) — 8 rounds

Jason Whateley (8-0, 7KO) vs Victor Oganov (32-8, 30KO) — 6 rounds