Michael Zerafa says Joel Camellieri is “delusional” and has “brain damage” by suggesting they will get in the ring, but moves are afoot to see the duo take on each other by year’s end.
Just days after sensationally pulling out against Tim Tszyu a week out from their much-anticipated bout, it can be revealed Zerafa’s management rung Camellieri’s agent Peter Maniatis to ask if he was interested in a fight.
“I said ‘yes’ at the drop of a hat,” Maniatis, who promoted Zerafa’s first 15 fights, told foxsports.com.au.
Zerafa is trying to keep his Australian career alive after walking away from the biggest fight of his career next Wednesday in Newcastle.
In his place stepped Stevie Spark, the little-known 24-year-old from Toowoomba.
But already Zerafa is on the hunt for his next fight.
He has set his eyes on his former sparring partner Camellieri, who set social media alive by posting that he and Zerafa were going to go from “teammates to opponents”.
Zerafa was having none of it, telling his fans on social media it was “fake news”.
Contacted by foxsports.com.au, Zerafa denied his management had spoken to Camellieri’s camp.
“Not at all. He’s delusional. He’s got brain damage. Our teams haven’t even spoken,” Zerafa told foxsports.com.au.
“He’s just trying to ride off the heat I’m getting with the media just to stir up everything and win fans over.
“He’s going to post things at the moment, obviously I’m hated at the moment, so he’s just posting things and everyone’s like ‘knock him out’.
“My team, his team, they haven’t even spoken.
“He would be the last person I would fight.
“It’s all false.”
Not so according to Maniatis, one of the most respected boxing voices in the country and a Boxing Hall of Fame TV Host.
“I got a call from Sam Labruna,” Maniatis told foxsports.com.au.
“We spoke about it and we’re going to talk about it next week. We’re just in pre-negotiation talks.
“The fight hasn’t been made yet because Joel has a big fight with Wes Capper in early-September and then we’re going to get Zerafa after that.”
It’s understood Camellieri’s fight against Capper will be announced in the coming days.
Had Zerafa’s management gone to Maniatis with an earlier offer, it is likely Camellieri would have prioritised his former sparring partner but that fight will now likely occur in November.
“I promoted Zerafa’s first 15 fights,” Maniatis said.
“I was his first manager-promoter, I turned him pro. I took Michael to Russia, so I know him pretty well.
“We haven’t agreed to anything, we haven’t even spoken money, but all they wanted to know was would Joel fight Michael.
“Both of them have known each other for a long time but the phone call from Sam Labruna asked if we would fight Zerafa and I said, ‘yes’ at the drop of a hat.
“He said, ‘let’s make it happen.’
“But we’ve already got a fight committed for September. Once I commit fights, I’m a man of my word, so I said to him, ‘After Wes, we’ll go straight onto it’.”
Maniatis is excited about the fight.
Knowing both fighters inside out, he believes it will be a show that will create as much noise away from the ring as it will inside it.
“My information is that Fox Sports is pretty upset with Michael, so he’s obviously looking around for opponents,” Maniatis said.
“Joel will give him the fight of his life.
“It will be a great match.
“We can put titles in front of Michael.
“Michael’s a good guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for Michael.
“Joel will fight anyone and I think that’s a fight that will make a lot of noise once it’s done.”
