What to Know
- In a week with a light boxing schedule, one major card takes place on Wednesday in Queensland, Australia, from Matchroom Boxing
- Heavyweight prospect Teremoana Teremoana appears in the co-main event against DeAndre Savage of Flint, Michigan.
- Critics believe it’s time for Teremoana to up his game and face tougher opposition.
- The card airs on DAZN Boxing early in the U.S. at 5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT.
During a quiet week on the boxing schedule, one of the two major cards taking place comes to fans from the Gold Coast of Australia in Queensland, where fans believe they have a heavyweight star in the making in Teremoana Teremoana Jr.
But are they getting to see what the big undefeated Olympian can really do in the ring? Critics say it’s past time for him to be matched against tougher opponents.
Fans can watch this fight card early on Wednesday, August 12 in the U.S. on DAZN Boxing, with a start time of 5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT. The weigh-in goes down Monday night at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.
At the final pre-fight news conference on Monday (see in the U.S. late Sunday night), Teremoana (11-0, 11 KOs) promised he would “let his fists do the talking” against opponent DeAndre Savage of Flint, Michigan (11-1, 11 KOs) and promised he would stop him, as he has knocked out all of his opponents to date.
Teremoana Needs To Be Tested – And Pass
So far, Teremoana, age 29, has done more dancing with his traditional Haka celebration after his victories than actual boxing. He has only gone past the second round twice, and fought a total of 13 rounds as a pro. He took out Aleem Whitfield in one round, who managed to survive three incredibly bad rounds with Dainier Pero this past Saturday, and he drilled the infamous journeyman Curtis Harper in a round, perhaps his best fight to date.
Teremoana turned pro after his appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He was an early medal favorite, with time spent as a sparring partner working with top pros including Frazier Clarke, Joseph Parker, and Tyson Fury. But he ran up against eventual gold medalist Baklovir Jalolov in the quarterfinals, losing a decision and ending up fifth overall in the super heavyweight division.
Savage, age 35, started his pro career fighting in Tijuana just five years ago. He’s also blitzed most of his opponents in a round or two. His only loss is a decision to Brandon Moore, who will face veteran Bryant Jennings later this month in Detroit.
Tony Harrison Speaks the Hard Truth
Pushback came from Savage’s trainer, former world super welterweight champion Tony Harrison of Detroit to point out what’s apparent to everyone but not being acknowledged.
Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn does what he does so well to promote the fight. He had plenty to say. For his full remarks, watch the video of the full news conference.
“I think there is legitimately a chance for you to have a long reign as a heavyweight world champion,” said Hearn to Teremoana. “He has got the size, got the power, got the personality. And this is the first big step up really on Wednesday night against DeAndre Savage, a very very good American heavyweight with a very good boxing brain in the corner, Tony Harrison.”
But Harrison said there are just too many questions about an opponent who hasn’t gone past two rounds. With this, he turned to Hearn.
“Eddie, has anyone ever told you (that) you should have been a car salesman?”
“A car salesman? I’ll tell you what, I’ll be the best car salesman.”
“That wasn’t a joke. I’m patting you on the back. You could sell water to a fucking whale … You made Teremoana sound like he’s fighting Hercules. You make Mike Z sound like he’s Michael Jordan. You’re the man. You do a good amazing job. That’s why they call you the best promoter, because you do a good job selling bullshit,” said Harrison, as everyone on stage and in the audience laughed.
“Thank you for the kind words, Tony,” said Hearn.
Heavyweights Have Their Say
“I’m going to lay him [Teremoana] down,” declared Savage. “I’m here to take care of business, man. Come a long way from Flint, Michigan, and you know it don’t stop here. I’m here to do what I do.
“You haven’t been passed the second round. You know, he got experience, but we got ten-ounce gloves on. You know, it’s a different ballgame. And I’m going to touch him. I’m here to touch his chin, man. I’m going to go test him. Down goes Frazier,” said the stoic Savage.
Teremoana wasn’t having it.
“I just come here to do a job. I trained six days a week, twice a day to fight. So, when we come to like this, I’m ready to go. Ready to rumble. And Savage is going to find out this Wednesday.
“I think there’s a bit more energy coming from his coach. I don’t know if it’s the Americans, I think they really like their voice. They just talk too much, to be honest. Let your fists do the talking,” said Teremoana.
“I don’t know if he’s pretty solid like Tony was saying. I think I’m pretty solid. I think I’m about 260 pounds. Pure muscle. Pure prettiness. But yeah, I’m just here to do a job basically. And yeah, I’m just so proud and so happy for everyone to be here today.”
“I think Teremoana is not going past two rounds, not even probably getting hit. I think all the questions are for him,” said Harrison.
“I don’t think the question is for Dre. I think Dre has everything. Dre is 300 pounds solid, and I mean, if he hits you, it’s not a baby hitting you. Dre has been around, man. He’s been around for a long time … It’s just not taking the fight to get a check. I think we take the fights to win them.”
Harrison said heavyweights are all one fight away from vaulting to the top of the division with a single punch. “You are one fight away from being a millionaire. You want to find a way to make life-changing money,” adding that Teremoana is getting too comfortable.
Harrison has a point. Plenty of skilled Olympians with extensive experience have stepped up quickly as pros: Vasiliy Lomachenko, Andy Cruz, David Morrell. It’s true that Cruz and Morell have both suffered losses, but they are fighting in front of big audiences in meaningful fights – with meaningful purses. And they are gaining valuable lessons.
One young heavyweight lacking high-level amateur experience is already fighting for a world title, Moses Itauma.
Women with Olympic boxing experience are moving even more quickly. Tamm Thibeault of Canada, an accomplished amateur world champion, won the unified middleweight championship on Saturday against Australian Desley Robinson in just her fifth professional fight.
If Teremoana continues taking easy opponents, he risks becoming the next Edgar Berlanga.
Co-Main Features Michael Zerafa On the Comeback
Recent Matchroom Sport signing and polarizing personality Michael Zerafa of Australia (34-5, 22 KOs) returns to take another run at a title shot in the middleweight division, starting with opponent Alejandro Ortiz of Venezuela (26-1, 25 KOs). Ortiz’s resume has been limited to fights in Venezuela with a single exception, his only loss to Bakaray Samake of France in 2025.
Zerafa has come up short in his fight against current and former champions, including losses to Erislandy Lara, Jeff Horn, Kell Brook, Peter Quillan and Arif Magomedov. His best performance was his win over Horn in 2019, winning two regional middleweight titles. Horn defeated Zerafa by majority decision with two knockdowns in an immediate rematch.
In Zerafa’s last fight in January, an accidental headbutt in the third round of his fight against Nikita Tszyu opened a cut. Zerafa told the referee he could not see, and the fight was ruled a no-contest.
Once again, it was Harrison driving the conversation. Harrison is still an active fighter. After his loss to Tim Tszyu in 2023, he has two wins in 2024, the last one a knockout win over Brian Chaves in December.
It seemed Harrison was more interested in a fight with Zerafa for himself.
“Say what we’ve been talking about. You said you’re fighting me. I said I’ll fight you.
“You find two guys that make it easy to make a fight. Me and Mike has made it easy to make a fight. We shook hands. We’ve crossed the Ts. All Eddie gotta do is sign, and hopefully he’s victorious because I love us. This is my second home, mate,” said Harrison.
Zerafa says Matchroom gives him a fresh start.
“My dream is to be a world champion, you know, and I’ve fallen short. I’ve got a great team now. And anyone that’s going to move me in that direction to getting a world title, if it’s [Tony] Harrison, it’s Harrison. If it’s whoever they put in front of me. And as I said, it gets me to that world title. That’s the goal.”
“I love it because some hate him, some love him,” said Hearn. “I don’t care. Everyone’s calling him out, Tony (Harrison) even down there, Chris Eubank Jr. But he’s got a big, big fight against Ortiz, who’s a huge, huge puncher.
“Ortiz is a dangerous, dangerous fight. And you know, the kind of names that are calling Michael out. I know that he’s going to do numbers. I know that he’s going to put bums on seats. Like I said, some tune in to watch him get beat, some tune in to watch him win. I don’t care. They’re going to be tuning in. And that was a big signing. But he’s got a real fight on Wednesday.”
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
