Middleweight contender Michael Zerafa believes his Australian rival, Tim Tszyu, will suffer a shock defeat at the hands of former world champion Tony Harrison.
Tszyu will face Harrison for the vacant WBO interim-junior middleweight title on March 12 in Sydney. Showtime will televise the contest.
The winner of Tszyu vs. Harrison will move forward to a showdown with undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo.
Harrison is still the only man to hold a victory over Charlo. He won a twelve round unanimous decision in their first encounter in 2018. A year later, they collided in their anticipated rematch, with Charlo dropping Harrison three times for an eventual stoppage in the eleventh round.
Zerafa feels Harrison will be too much for Tszyu to handle at this stage of his career. He expects Harrison to come away with a knockout victory.
"Credit to Tim Tszyu for taking a fight at that level,' Zerafa told Boxing BLVD. 'I think styles make fights and Harrison is going to be a little bit too much for him. As another Aussie, I hope he does well. I want Australia to be put on the map and when it is my time to fight for a world title I hope they get behind me, but I truly believe he is not ready for that yet.
"I think it goes down as a shocking knockout, because Tszyu doesn't have much defense, he doesn't have a tight defense, he tries to walk forwards and Harrison is a technician, he picks his shots. [Harrison] beat Charlo. One of the biggest, if not the biggest, punchers in the division and an absolute beast. He schooled him, I think if the right Harrison rocks up I think he makes easy work of Timmy. Just the experience, just the style of him is just another level."