Michael Zerafa

Last updated

Michael Zerafa
Michael Zerafa from Rival 60.jpg
Zerafa in a 2020 promotional film
Statistics
Nickname(s)Pretty Boy [1]
Weight(s)
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Reach182 cm (72 in)
NationalityAustralian
Born (1992-03-25) 25 March 1992 (age 31)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights34
Wins30
Wins by KO19
Losses4

Michael Zerafa (born 25 March 1992) is an Australian professional boxer. He held the Commonwealth super-welterweight title in 2018.

Contents

Boxing career

Early in his career, he was the Victorian super-welterweight champion. [2]

Zerafa vs. Magomedov

On 24 October 2014, he lost to Arif Magomedov in his first fight outside Australia when challenging for the WBO Youth and Asia Pacific middleweight titles. [3] [4]

Zerafa vs. Quillin

On 12 September 2015, he lost via knockout to Peter Quillin in his second fight outside Australia. [5] The impact of the knockout caused him to leave the arena on a stretcher. [6]

Zerafa vs. Kirima

On 22 April 2016, Zerafa defeated Yosuke Kirima for the IBF Pan Pacific middleweight title. [7]

Zerafa vs. Brook

On 5 November 2018, it was announced Zerafa would face Kell Brook at the Sheffield Arena on 8 December 2018, in a WBA super-welterweight title eliminator. [8] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Zerafa vs. Sherrington

On 12 April 2019, Zerafa returned home to Australia and defeated Les Sherrington via knockout.

Zerafa vs. Horn

He then defeated Jeff Horn for the WBA Oceania middleweight title in Bendigo on 31 August 2019, this time winning via technical knockout. Horn was ranked #3 by the WBA, #5 by the WBO and #14 by the IBF at middleweight at the time. [9]

Zerafa vs. Ritchie

On 9 November 2019, Zerafa was sparring with Dwight Ritchie when Ritchie collapsed in between rounds after a hit to the chest. Ritchie could not be revived and later died. [10]

Zerafa vs. Hardman

On 20 April 2022, Zerafa faced Isaac Hardman in an IBF title eliminator at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre where Zerafa would knockout Hardman in the second round. [11]

World title opportunity

Zerafa was originally slated to fight Esquiva Falcão for the vacant IBF middleweight world title. [12] However, Zerafa opted to pursue a World Boxing Association title fight against Erislandy Lara, so Falcão is now slated to fight Vincenzo Gualtieri for the IBF title. [13]

Professional boxing record

35 fights31 wins4 losses
By knockout191
By decision123
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
35Win31–4Danilo CreatiUD1023 Nov 2022 Aware Super Theatre, Sydney, Australia
34Win30–4Issac HardmanTKO2 (12), 1:2720 Apr 2022 Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia
33Win29–4Siliveni NawaiTKO4 (10), 2:5520 Dec 2021Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, AustraliaRetained WBA Oceania middleweight title
32Win28–4 Anthony Mundine TKO1 (10), 2:0913 Mar 2021Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo, AustraliaWon vacant WBA Oceania middleweight title
31Loss27–4 Jeff Horn MD1018 Dec 2019 Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, AustraliaLost WBA Oceania and WBO Oriental middleweight titles
30Win27–3 Jeff Horn TKO9 (10), 2:5531 Aug 2019 Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo, AustraliaWon WBA Oceania, WBO Oriental, and vacant IBF Asia Oceania middleweight titles
29Win26–3Les SherringtonKO2 (8), 1:3112 Apr 2019Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia
28Loss25–3 Kell Brook UD128 Dec 2018 Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
27Win25–2José Agustín JulioTKO3 (10), 1:4631 Aug 2018Croatian Club, Melbourne, AustraliaRetained WBA Oceania light middleweight title
26Win24–2Wade RyanUD101 Jun 2018Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, AustraliaWon vacant WBA Oceania light middleweight title
25Win23–2Adam HarperUD1216 Mar 2018Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, AustraliaWon vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title
24Win22–2Tomás Andrés ReynosoKO6 (8), 2:5817 Jun 2017Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia
23Win21–2Renato OliveiraTKO3 (10), 2:3210 Dec 2016Melbourne Park Function Centre, Melbourne, AustraliaRetained IBF Pan Pacific middleweight title
22Win20–2István ZellerTKO5 (10), 2:3213 Aug 2016 Melbourne Park Function Centre, Melbourne, Australia
21Win19–2Yosuke KirimaUD1222 Apr 2016Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, AustraliaWon vacant IBF Pan Pacific middleweight title
20Win18–2Gustavo Alberto SánchezKO4 (8)6 Dec 2015Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia
19Loss17–2 Peter Quillin KO5 (12), 1:0612 Sep 2015 Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, US
18Win17–1Yuttana WongdaTKO4 (6), 0:4927 Mar 2015Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
17Win16–1Bruno CarvalhoTKO5 (6), 1:295 Dec 2014La Mirage Reception & Convention Centre, Melbourne, Australia
16Loss15–1 Arif Magomedov UD1024 Oct 2014 Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow, RussiaFor vacant WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Youth middleweight titles
15Win15–0Joe ReaUD827 Jun 2014Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
14Win14–0Luke SharpUD827 Feb 2014Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, Australia
13Win13–0Athit PraditphonTKO8 (8)13 Dec 2013Club Italia Sporting Club, Melbourne, Australia
12Win12–0Amnat DaengphayapKO2 (8)8 Nov 2013Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
11Win11–0Anton OlarteUD107 Jun 2013Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
10Win10–0Richard Kenneth CarrTKO3 (6), 0:2719 Apr 2013 Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia
9Win9–0Adrian CampbellUD1021 Feb 2013Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, AustraliaRetained WBC-ABCO Continental light middleweight title
8Win8–0David GalvinUD1016 Nov 2012Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, AustraliaWon vacant WBC-ABCO Continental light middleweight title
7Win7–0Ariel OmongosTKO2 (8), 2:3429 Jun 2012Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
6Win6–0Faisal FayadSD811 Nov 2011Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, AustraliaWon vacant ANBF Victoria State light middleweight title
5Win5–0Xingxin YangTKO4 (6), 1:0326 Aug 2011 Coburg City Hall, Melbourne, Australia
4Win4–0Aswin CabuyUD422 Jul 2011Sunshine Roller Skating Centre, Melbourne, Australia
3Win3–0Jean ClaudeTKO1 (4), 0:458 Jul 2011Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
2Win2–0David GallUD41 Apr 2011 Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
1Win1–0Peter MakrypodisKO1 (4), 1:4218 Mar 2011Sunshine Roller Skating Centre, Melbourne, Australia

Personal life

His mother is from Australia and his father is from Malta. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxing in the 1980s</span>

Boxing in the 1980s was filled with important fights, events and personalities that shaped the sport. Boxing in the 1980s was shaped by many different situations, such as the continuous corporate battles between the different world sanctioning organizations, the void left by Muhammad Ali as the sport's ambassador and consequent search for a new boxing hero, the continuous presence of Don King as the sport's most famous promoter, the surge of rival promoters as Bob Arum, Butch Lewis and Murad Muhammad, and major rule changes. In 1986, Mike Tyson emerged as a fresh new face in the heavyweight division, which had seen a decline in champion quality level after Ali's retirement and, later on, after longtime WBC ruler Larry Holmes' prime. In addition, the IBF and WBO began operating.

As in the 1980s, the 1990s in boxing's popularity focused on all divisions. When 1980s legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, as well as others retired, newer superstars filled the void: Pernell Whitaker, Julio César Chávez, in the early 1990s, Oscar De La Hoya, Félix Trinidad, Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the mid to late 1990s.

Randall Bailey is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2016. He is a former world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBO light welterweight title from 1999 to 2000, and the IBF welterweight title in 2012. Additionally, he held the WBA interim light welterweight title in 2002. Nicknamed "The Knock-Out King" for his exceptional knockout power, Bailey is considered to be one of the hardest punchers in boxing history.

Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam is a French Cameroonian professional boxer. He has held a middleweight world championship twice, including the WBO title in 2012 and the WBA (Regular) title in 2017, and has challenged once for a super-middleweight world title in 2019.

Alfredo Angulo López is a Mexican professional boxer who held the WBO interim light middleweight title from 2009 to 2010. As an amateur he represented Mexico at the 2004 Olympics, reaching the first round of the middleweight bracket. Nicknamed "El Perro", Angulo was a highly regarded light middleweight prospect in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and is particularly known for his relentless pressure fighting style and formidable punching power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Jacobs (boxer)</span> American boxer (born 1987)

Daniel Jacobs is an American professional boxer. He is a two-time middleweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2018 to 2019 and the WBA (Regular) title from 2014 to 2017. Nicknamed the "Miracle Man," Jacobs' career was almost cut short in 2011 due to osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He went on to make a full recovery after spending 19 months out of the sport, meanwhile recovering from severe operation-induced injuries generally perceived as crippling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kell Brook</span> British boxer (born 1986)

Ezekiel "Kell" Brook is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2022. He held the IBF welterweight title from 2014 to 2017, and challenged once for a unified middleweight world title in 2016. At regional level, he held multiple welterweight titles, including the British welterweight title from 2008 to 2010. In May 2017, Brook was ranked as the world's best active welterweight by The Ring magazine.

Boxing in the 2010s includes notable events about boxing which occurred between 2010 and 2019. The decade saw high intensity action in the welterweight division. The match between veterans Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao broke PPV records. The broadcast of the fight in the Philippines was watched by nearly half the country's households. Mayweather retired at a record 50-0-0 while Pacquiao became the first eight division champion. The middleweight division saw immense action in the later years of the decade. After a draw in 2017, Canelo Alvarez ended Gennady Golovkin's long reign in 2018. The heavyweight division was dominated by Klitschko brothers before Wladimir's loss to Tyson Fury in 2015. Other talents that emerged were Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksander Usyk.

Gabriel Rosado is an American former professional boxer. He had challenged twice for a middleweight world title in 2013. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rosado is part of the city's large Puerto Rican community. Renowned for his toughness and willingness to face elite opposition, Rosado had competed in the light middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight divisions, winning a variety of regional championships along the way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of boxing in the Philippines</span> Boxing history in the Philippines

The history of boxing in the Philippines is the history of boxing and the evolution and progress of the sport in the Philippines. In the Philippines, boxing is one of its most popular sports, together with basketball, due to the many accolades it has brought to the country, having produced 45 major world champions, one of the most in the world. Despite not having won a gold medal in boxing, the Philippines has had multiple Olympic standouts, with 8 out of its 12 total Olympic medals coming from boxing, along with some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. Filipino greats like Pancho Villa, Flash Elorde and Ian Medallo Alegrado are members of the two highly respected boxing hall of fames – International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) and World Boxing Hall of Fame (WBHF) thus, giving the Philippines the most number of boxing hall of fame members out of Asia.

Jeffrey Christopher Horn Jr. is an Australian professional boxer. He held the WBO welterweight title from 2017 to 2018. As an amateur, he represented Australia at the 2012 Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals of the light-welterweight bracket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esquiva Falcão</span> Brazilian boxer

Esquiva Falcão Florentino is a Brazilian professional boxer. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships and silver at the 2012 Olympics.

Carlos Adames is a Dominican professional boxer. He is currently the WBC interim middleweight champion, having held the belt since October 2022. He previously challenged for the WBO interim light middleweight title in 2019. At regional level he held the WBC-NABF and WBO-NABO light middleweight titles between 2018 and 2019. As of November 2022, he is ranked as the 7th best active middleweight by The Ring Magazine.

Dwight Thomas Ritchie was an Australian professional boxer. He held the Australian middleweight title from 2014 to 2015 and the IBF Youth junior middleweight title in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gennady Golovkin vs. Ryōta Murata</span> Boxing competition

Gennady Golovkin vs. Ryōta Murata, billed as Big Drama in Japan, was a middleweight unification professional boxing match contested between IBF and IBO champion, Gennady Golovkin and WBA (Super) champion, Ryōta Murata. The bout took place at Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan on April 9, 2022.

Bowyn Morgan is a New Zealand professional boxer. As an amateur he competed in the men's welterweight division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he would reach the quarter-finals before losing to Scott Fitzgerald, who went on to claim the gold medal.

Andrei Mikhailovich Driessen is a Russian born, New Zealand raised professional boxer. He has won multiple New Zealand national championships in two weight classes from light middleweight to middleweight. At regional level, Mikhailovich has also won the IBF Pan-Pacific and WBO Global middleweight belts.

Vincenzo Gualtieri is a middleweight professional boxer from Wuppertal, Germany who has been ranked as high as 3rd in the world by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

References

  1. "BoxRec: Michael Zerafa". boxrec.com. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  2. Rogers, Andrew; Leader, Hume (5 April 2016). "Craigieburn boxer Michael Zerafa fights for Pan Pacific belt". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  3. "New Faces: Arif Magomedov - The Ring". 9 December 2015.
  4. "Zerafa aims to 'ice' hot Mogomedov".
  5. "Quillin stops Zerafa in fifth with powerful right".
  6. "Update: Zerafa doing well after scary KO".
  7. "The Voice of the Maltese No. 131".
  8. "Kell Brook to fight Michael Zerafa on December 8, live on Sky Sports".
  9. "Horn vs Zerafa - News, Tape, Ringwalk, TV, Streaming & Tickets". Box.Live. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  10. "Australian boxer Dwight Ritchie dies in a training accident aged 27 - ABC News".
  11. "Michael Zerafa vs. Issac Hardman: Zerafa scores second-round KO victory - Sporting News".
  12. Rafael, Dan. "Notebook: 'Zurdo' returns, turns page after being outclassed by Bivol". danrafael.substack.com.
  13. Orban, Jonny (15 March 2023). "Kampf um IBF-WM: Mega-Chance für Gualtieri und AGON!".
  14. "Michael Zerafa: 'I'm not a stripper; I'm a boxer' - The Ring". 1 September 2015.
Achievements
Preceded by WBO Oriental middleweight champion
August 31 December 18, 2019
Succeeded by
Jeff Horn