Zerafa reveals what ignited brother’s wild reaction

Michael Zerafa says a lack of security and the actions of Tommy Browne’s trainer sparked the wild response from his brother in chaotic scenes at the conclusion of their fight on Wednesday night.
Speaking exclusively to Wide World of Sports in the aftermath of the fracas that saw his brother land a punch on Browne’s trainer Tommy Mercuri, Zerafa, who said he did not condone his brother’s behaviour, pointed to a “misunderstanding”.
As Browne sat on his stool favouring an injured left arm, Zerafa called him a quitter for pulling out just one round into their fight, which included a war of words in the lead up.
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Mercuri then confronted Zerafa, swearing in his face while shoving him back towards the ropes as officials and security staff climbed into the ring. Zerafa’s brother then made his way into the squared circle and punched Mercuri in the face before they were separated.
Mercuri confronts Zerafa Digital image by Grant Trouville ©
“Obviously straight after the fight. Me and Tommy were saying some words back and forth and then his trainer comes slinging his arms around and not one person did anything,” Zerafa told Wide World of Sports.
“There was no security who jumped in, Matt Rose had to jump in. I was just pushing him away because he was in my face and slinging my hands.
“And then my brother jumped in, which was wrong, but it escalated because Tommy’s trainer was out of control.
“No trainer should be doing that to a fighter, swinging their arms in the face of the rival fighter.”
Zerafa, on the comeback from a knockout loss in his world title fight against Erislandy Lara, rejected claims his brother should be banned by the NSW Combat Authority. He said he was not there in an official capacity like Mercuri.
Browne checks his arm at the end of the first. Digital image by Grant Trouville ©
“If my brother gets banned then he should get banned too. He’s Browne’s trainer, he should know how to behave,” Zerafa said.
“My brother is an outsider, a guy who just watches the fight. He’s a trainer, he should know better.
“He pushed me at the start and then flicked his arms in my face. I was just trying to get him away from me and there was no security.
“My brother misunderstood everything because he didn’t see them stop the fight. He thought everything happened once the second round had started.
“My brother said he didn’t see them wave off the fight. He assumed before the second round had started, his trainer had just walked up to me in the ring having a go. He saw Mercuri swinging his arms at me and no one doing anything.
Security and Matt Rose get in the middle of it. Digital image by Grant Trouville ©
“Then when he saw no security coming in, he came in and threw that shot, which I don’t condone on either side, but it all started from their team.”
Zerafa referenced the ugly lead up to the fight, which saw the Melbourne fighter talk trash about Browne’s recent divorce, and Browne labelling the world title challenger a quitter for the way he handled himself against Lara, as the catalyst for the way things erupted.
“Prior to the fight Tommy Browne was saying I quit in Vegas, I was a bitch and quit. In the ring I said to him, ‘You quit and it’s the second round and you call me a bitch?’.
“Then his trainer just went ape shit. Even Mercuri was saying a lot of shit on social media about myself, my brother, my family, my career, everything, I didn’t say nothing. And even in the ring I didn’t do nothing. I was just trying to get him away from me.
Zerafa’s brother strikes Browne’s trainer. Digital image by Grant Trouville ©
“It got out of hand and it shouldn’t have happened on both teams. I totally agree it looks bad but my brother did what anyone else’s brother would do and that’s self defence.
“My brother’s actions wouldn’t have happened if Tommy Mercuri didn’t do what he did.”
Zerafa, who recently signed a three-fight deal with No Limit, is slated to fight Nikita Tszyu in the coming months.
But that venture might have to wait as Tszyu has a hand injury assessed after stopping Koen Mazoudier in the ninth round on Wednesday night.
Zerafa, who expressed disappointment at the lack of ring time the fight with Browne offered, said he’s not counting on fighting the younger Tszyu.
“I’ll believe it when I see it. Apparently the contracts are going to come soon. I’ll just go back, enjoy and do it again,” he said.
“Straight after the fight I was on the phone to Nonito Donaire. We’ve already planned a Vegas training camp, sparring, everything. We’re going full steam ahead. I felt good in the first round I was only warming up.”