1 month ago
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Nikita Tszyu’s keenly anticipated fight against Michael Zerafa is in doubt after the light middleweight was injured after being “T-boned” in a car crash.
The accident happened while Tszyu was driving his Jeep on the weekend, leaving him stiff and sore after the impact on his side of the vehicle. While the Australian boxer avoided major injuries, he has been ordered to cease all training for at least a week while he recovers.
Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings, said he was grateful that Nikita was able to walk away from the collision.
“It was a side impact, he got T-boned,” Jennings said. “The lady who came through the intersection literally had full contact in his door.
“It was a fair hit from side-on, so I’d imagine it would be very jolting when she’s hit his door where he is sitting.
“We are very lucky and very grateful he was in that car. One of my mates told me they have a safety rail through there.
Nikita Tszyu’s Jeep after being T-boned in a car accident.
“If it was a smaller car, it might have been a different outcome. You’ve got to look at the positives in this – he’s OK. It could have been much worse, and we’re grateful it’s not.
“He’s alright. He’s very stiff and very sore. He’s got to take a week off and rest up. It’s a typical result from being hit side on. The whole body is a bit jarred and out of whack. He’ll take the week off, review it all next week and see how he’s travelling.”
A photo of Tszyu’s Jeep Sport Wrangler shows the damage occurred on the side door, directly where he was sitting at impact. There were hopes Tszyu and Zerafa could fight as soon as December, but the setback casts doubt on whether the bout will happen this year.
“It’s a fight everyone would like to see, but you’ve got to be in good nick and good shape coming into those fights,” Jennings said.
Nikita Tszyu in the ring.Credit: No Limit Boxing
“I’m hopeful he will be fine, will get his stiffness and soreness straightened out over the next week and we will go from there. That decision will depend on next week and how he pulls up.
“It’s still in the works. These sorts of things throw a bit of a bomb into the fire. It’s always hard to say when something like this happens completely out of the blue.
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“We’ve all spoken and we’ve acted reasonably in saying let’s have a look at it after he’s had a week off. We’ll take it from there, we don’t have any answers on any of that stuff. We’re just glad and grateful it isn’t anything more sinister.”
It’s been a rough ride for the Tszyu brothers, Nikita and former WBO super-welterweight world champion Tim. The latter has lost three of his last four fights, while Nikita had his last fight in August after hand surgery kept him out of the ring for a year.
Tim has also had dramas outside the ring; a dog bite threatened to cancel a bout against Carlos Ocampo two years ago.
“There’s been so many injuries with my fighters over the past two years,” Jennings said. “We’ve had ruptured biceps, hand injuries, a bit of a rough trot. That’s the sport we’re in mate, it feels like it’s brutal inside and outside the ring.”
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