'I'll retire him': Issac Hardman warns Michael Zerafa ahead of Australian boxing showdown

That's why he pulls himself up at the start of an interview for saying camp has been unreal. Because, "to be fair, there have been some speedbumps".

Like getting flooded. COVID-19. A cut eye. A busted hand.

But he still feels like "Christmas is coming in April for everyone". Because on Wednesday night Hardman [12-0] fights polarising middleweight rival Michael Zerafa [29-4] at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

Few divide opinion quite like these two in Australian boxing, and Hardman has vowed to knock Zerafa to the canvas with the winner poised to challenge Brazil's No 1 ranked contender Esquiva Falcao for the IBF middleweight title vacated by Gennady Golovkin.

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"Merry f---ing Christmas," undefeated Queenslander Hardman said.

"I sat here and said to my coach Blair [Studley] when Tim Tszyu and Zerafa were meant to fight ... At the time I had no squabble or beef with Zerafa, and I was friendly with Tszyu, I always believed Tszyu would beat him and stop him.

"I thought 'if Zerafa wants to have any more relevance in this sport after he gets beaten by Tszyu, he's going to have to bounce back up to middleweight and fight me because I'm making the most noise, and then I'll retire him'.

"Then he dogged it and I thought 'f---, here we go, let's just give it to this clown and he'll take the bait', which he did. That was heaven sent, the pull out. It was crap for the rest of Australia, but that's just the thing in my boxing career.

"Everything just seems to be falling right into place. That fight fell into my lap. He claims he had other options, no he did not, he never had another option and that's why he took the fight. I'm making the most noise outside Tim Tszyu and he had to fight me to have any relevance.

"I just went for a walk with Blair, he had some breakfast and he said 'mate, the sound of his skull bouncing off the canvas is going to be one of the most satisfying sounds to ring through' his ears."

If only more people knew where to find it.

The card headlined by the domestic grudge match features Cherneka Johnson's [13-1] shot at the vacant IBF world female super bantamweight title against Melissa Esquivel [12-2-1].

But the show will not be televised on Fox Sports, with the broadcaster washing its hands of anything to do with Zerafa after he cost them big money when he pulled out of the Tszyu fight on a week's notice last year. Instead the show will be live streamed on Fite TV.

Yet Hardman remains as determined as ever to make a statement as the former mixed martial artist edges closer to realising a fast-tracked world title dream under promoter Dean Lonergan.

"When I got told it wasn't on Fox I was devastated. The silver lining is that world title afterwards," Hardman said.

"I've packed that bag up and put it in the closet. It doesn't matter where it is, if it was on a f---ing Instagram live feed, I don't care. I've taken a bit of a hit in pay but I know I'll make it back when I become world champion.

"Everything for me right now is humming along at exactly the perfect frequency. I'm getting married to my fiance, everyone is happy and healthy, my family is good, my career is good, I've built my first house and I'll pay that off after I smash Zerafa.

"Everything is just happening, the ducks are just lined up for me to f---ing knock them over. This is just another step in that perfect journey to the top."

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