It’s no secret that Issac Hardman and Michael Zerafa don’t like each other, and the feud somehow reached another level at Tuesday’s pre-fight weigh-in.
CCTV footage of the event shows Hardman taking exception to something that was said, and the pair having to be dragged apart as punches are exchanged.
The weigh-in has been re-scheduled for Tuesday evening.
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The pair face off tomorrow night, with the winner receiving the biggest fight of their career so far.
What’s on the line for Hardman and Zerafa?
The winner will fight the No.1 ranked contender, Brazil’s Esquiva Falcao, for the Gennadiy IBF Middleweight title belt that was vacated by Gennady Golovkin.
When is Hardman v Zerafa?
The pair will fight in Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, April 20, with the undercard starting from around 5pm.
How can I watch Hardman v Zerafa?
Zerafa v Hardman will be available on pay-per-view on Fite TV, and Wide World of Sports will have all the coverage before, during, and afterwards.
Is this feud real?
The feud exploded last month at a pre-fight event, and when speaking to Wide World of Sports on Monday, Hardman wanted to make it clear that none of this was for show.
“He would like it to be fake, and then we can be friends after – he tried to do that at the press conference – but that’s not how I was brought up. If you say certain things, you stand by it,” Hardman said.
“I do not like this guy – just the sight of him makes me want to punch the blood from his nose. He lacks the qualities of a good man; no integrity, he flips on his word, he says one thing and does another.”
Who will win Hardman v Zerafa?
Known as ‘Headsplitter’, Hardman is undefeated since switching from mixed martial arts to boxing in 2017, he is 12-0, including four wins in the past 12 months alone. Zerafa is one of the most-respected boxers in the Australian scene, with a 29-4 record as a professional, including a recent TKO victory over Anthony Mundine, which ended in ‘The Man’ retiring from the sport.
Hardman is currently $1.54 to win the fight on Sportsbet, and Zerafa $2.37
When will the winner fight for a world title?
Nothing is set in stone in terms of either dates or location, but Hardman has expressed his desire for a fight in his hometown of Brisbane, should the Brazilian be willing to fight in Australia. With an American fight highly unlikely, there’s every chance that one of the two fighters will be granted some sort of home-ground advantage.
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