Tim Tszyu vs Brian Mendoza, fight time, Jeff Fenech slammed over clash with Ben Savva, Hass Hamdan vs Danvers Cuschieri, video, highlights

Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech was branded a ‘fucking idiot’ after rushing into the ring to face rival trainer Ben Savva on the undercard of Tim Tszyu’s WBO world title fight on Gold Coast.

After a week of spats between the rival coaches – during which Savva called Fenech “above the law” – the two men nearly got physical after the second fight of the day.

Hass Hamdan, Fenech’s protégé, had just boxed magnificently to win a decision against the tough Danvers Cuschieri, winning the fight on all three scorecards 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75.

Boxing: Tszyu vs Mendoza SUNDAY OCT 15 12pm AEDT | Order now with the Main Event on Kayo Sports

After the fight, Fenech could be seen shouting and gesturing across the ring at Savva, who then returned his serve – prompting the four-time world champion to rush in and confront his rival, with the two men quickly separated.

Asked afterwards backstage by Fox Sports Australia what had happened, Sava replied: “At the end?

“We were humbled, congratulated them and Jeff just started, as he did for no apparent reason.

“Making fun of me like he always does.

“Then he started making weird finger gestures, so I talked back to him and he got aggressive.

“He’s just an idiot.”

“He’s an absolute fool and Australian boxing knows it.

“The only reason he hates me is because I’m the only person who says what every other boxing coach in Australia thinks.

“For two years, the guy has been attacking me for no reason.

“A lot of homophobic stuff which in 2023 seems very prevalent, but Jeff Fenech is above the law as I said before.

“He’s getting through it.

“He told everyone I was like…a trainer, a s…boxer, a person.”

Savva said the incident was entirely related to a comment he previously made about a former Fenech manager, Brock Jarvis – who has since parted ways with the Hall of Famer.

“This goes back to the fact that I made a comment once about Brock Jarvis needing to be re-evaluated after being dropped by the Mexican,” he explained.

“I said Brock Jarvis probably needs to re-evaluate and refine a few things before he takes his place again.

“Just because I could see he was a little vulnerable and it turns out I was right.

“Since Jeff hates me, attacks me, I don’t know why. He continues to embarrass himself, making himself look like an idiot over and over again.

“There you go, I have no idea.

“What I said was very polite.

I said to refine a few things before he levels up and because I said two years of pure hatred, he’s a bitter man.

“I don’t even understand.”

During open training sessions this week, the rivalry continued when Fenech approached Savva and presented him with a comic book.

“It was a joke that a 12-year-old would have written,” Savva said on fight night.

“It made no sense.

“He said ‘read this and it will teach you how to coach. It was a children’s comic.

“I don’t know.

“But two years of insults and today they had their day.

“Hass boxed magnificently, he has the victory, congratulations to Hass.

“Like I always said, it’s not me and Jeff fighting, it’s Has and Danvers.

“And the day we won, congratulations to Hass…not so much to Jeff.”

So what about Hamdan, in a press conference on Friday this week, after also calling on him to fight?

“I don’t know,” Savva laughs.

“I agreed to this to try to distract him, to make him think about me.

“But I’m happy to do it.

“No problem.

“Provided we can agree on the weight because I haven’t fought in four years and I was well above him. So we’ll let this one simmer.”