Paul Gallen vs Justin Hodges two boxing fight 2022: Michael Zerafa vs Danilo Creati | Tim Tszyu phone call
The feud that’s long simmered between Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa intensified on Monday — and in a spectacular twist, Paul Gallen was the middle man.
As Zerafa fielded questions ahead of his bout against Danilo Creati in Sydney on Wednesday, the phone of Gallen — who was seated next to Zerafa — began to ring.
Zerafa and Tszyu were locked in to fight in Newcastle in July last year, but the Melbourne-based Zerafa withdrew a week before, citing differences in COVID-19 restrictions between Victoria and New South Wales.
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In a Main Event interview shortly after the canned fight, Tszyu branded Zerafa “completely disrespectful” and declared to never fight him, as Stevie Spark stepped up to face Tszyu instead.
Zerafa was also frozen out by Fox Sports for a period, but that has since thawed.
Gallen was involved in Wednesday’s press conference because of his looming clash with former NRL and State of Origin foe Justin Hodges.
As Zerafa was answering a question with the cameras on him, Gallen’s phone rang.
“Tszyu! Here we go, look at this,” Zerafa said with a grin when Tszyu’s name popped up on the screen.
“From one idiot to the next,” he added after bagging Creati.
“Timmy’s watching, everyone,” Gallen quipped.
“Give him a wave.”
The punch line followed.
“Timmy wants to know if you’re going to turn up to this one,” Gallen said with a smirk, sparking laughter in the audience.
Tszyu will contest his first world-title fight in a bout with Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in January, which Zerafa used for ammunition.
“Tell him I’ll be turning up to his fight and helping him get picked up off the ground once Charlo knocks him out,” Zerafa jibed.
Gallen relayed the message to Tszyu and added: “I’ll have a good talk to him for you”.
Zerafa said he and Tszyu would “definitely cross paths”.
Gallen, Hodges fire up before fight
“He knows that, I know that,” he said.
“And he knows that there was more to the situation and why the fight didn’t happen. And so do No Limit (Boxing), which is why I’m here.
“I’m blessed to be back, and like I said, once he gets knocked out by Charlo he has to come back and build himself up.
“Like I said, I’ll be winning Wednesday and I’ve got my world-title fight (against Gennady Golovkin) in March.
“So, I’m here, ready to go.”
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