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Murray Wenzel

Venue locked for grudge match five years in the making

Brisbane has been announced as the venue for Nikita Tszyu's bout with Michael Zerafa. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

Michael Zerafa's chance to tarnish the Tszyu legacy will come in Brisbane after the venue for his grudge match with Nikita Tszyu was confirmed.

The Brisbane Entertainment Centre will host the Janaury 16 tussle between Tszyu (11-0) and Zerafa (34-5) in a catchweight between super welterweight and middleweight.

This showdown has been years in the making, since Zerafa's withdrawal from a fight with Tszyu's older brother Tim in 2020.

Michael Zerafa.
Zerafa (pictured) had been due to fight Tim Tszyu in 2020. (Steven Markham/AAP PHOTOS)

“This is as big as it gets," No Limit Boxing boss George Rose said.

"You’ve got Nikita Tszyu, the most talked-about name in Australian boxing, going toe-to-toe with Michael Zerafa, the man who’s made it his mission to destroy the Tszyu legacy."

The pair will come face-to-face on a floating boxing ring on the Brisbane River under the Story Bridge on Tuesday morning.

“The bad blood between these two runs deep and it’s all coming to a head right here in Queensland," Rose said. 

"There’s no more talk, no more excuses, and nowhere to hide. On January 16, it ends in Brisbane.

“This fight is going to shake the country and I can promise Queensland fans will turn it into a night Australian sport will never forget."

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