Jeff Fenech: "Kostya Tszyu is Full Of Bulls***"

By Mark Vester

They were once very close friends, but it now appears that former junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu and hall-of-fame fighter/trainer Jeff Fenech, two of the most well known boxing figures in Australia, are now in a vicious dispute that is making headlines all over their country.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Fenech is claiming that Tszyu "screwed" him over in a deal to manufacture boxing gloves years ago, but Fenech held his tongue because he didn't need Tszyu's money. Fenech called Tszyu a "money hungry" human being. 

The claim from Fenech is that he set up a deal for Tszyu to sell his merchandise at a retail sporting chain with an agreement between the two of them that he would handle the manufacturing of boxing gloves sold under Tszyu's name.

The problem began when Tszyu received confirmation of a done deal with the chain, and then organized to have the gloves manufactured overseas, while Fenech received no financial compensation.

"We didn't sign a contract, we had a conversation and shook hands and that's enough for me, I don't have to sign contracts," Fenech said. When I found out [about the overseas contract], they said he wants to meet with me in his lawyer's office in the city and I went there and they said they weren't happy with how things were going. If you're not happy in business you tell your partner, you speak to them about it, you don't go behind his back and make deals elsewhere. They offered me money ... asked me what they could do for me, and I told them, 'Youse can go and get f-----'."

Tszyu's manager, Matthew Watt, said his client considered Fenech a friend. "He told me he is friends with Jeff Fenech, he has no problem with Jeff."

Fenech does not care about what Tszyu says in public, because he feels that Tszyu is just putting on an act.

"If Tszyu meant those nice things he's been saying about me I wouldn't care but I know he doesn't mean it," Fenech said. "Kostya goes around saying he's my friend. When my face got slashed with glass, when I was going through all my dramas [Fenech was charged with shoplifting last year], how many times did he call me - not once. Is that a friend? Kostya Tszyu is a money-hungry person, he is full of bulls---. I never ever turn my back on my friends."