Queenslander Issac Hardman vows to make bitter rival Michael Zerafa pay for racism claims ahead of his return to the ring

Hardman’s quest for a world-title shot takes its most important step yet when the ‘Headsplitter’ (14-2, 12KO) faces Englishman Troy Coleman (12-2, 5KO) for the vacant WBO intercontinental title this Wednesday night.

It represents the biggest stage of Hardman’s career.

The 27-year-old from Caboolture will be the co-main event on a No Limit card also headlined by fellow Queenslander Dylan Biggs, who will defend his Australian super welterweight title against Nikita Tszyu in Newcastle.

While the Biggs-Tszyu blockbuster shapes as Australia’s fight of the year, Hardman is also hellbent on making a statement.

Victory over Coleman would catapult Hardman into the world rankings, a scenario that seemed a world away in April 2022, when he suffered a humiliating second-round loss to Zerafa in Melbourne.

Zerafa needed just 267 seconds to ice Hardman, dropping him with a razor-sharp short left hook, after an explosive build-up that saw ‘Pretty Boy’ needle the Headsplitter with claims of racism.

Zerafa, Australia’s top middleweight, is now the WBA mandatory set to fight for a world title next year.

Hardman is ranked Australia’s No.2 middleweight behind Zerafa and says he won’t be truly content in the sport until he exacts revenge on the nation’s boxing villain.

“I am going to smash Michael Zerafa,” Hardman said ahead of his showdown with Coleman.

“For him to call me a racist before our fight … he is a f***ing germ.

“Right now, he’s got the trump card. He chinned me in two rounds. He can sit there and laugh his ass off at me and say I finished you in two rounds, but I will put myself in a position where he cannot avoid fighting me again.

“The truth is I beat myself that night. I got way too emotional over the racism stuff. I boxed terrible. I tried to load up with power punches and he put me away in two rounds.

“He is now the mandatory with the WBA and while I hope he goes on and wins a world title, I don’t believe he is a good person.

“But I know with all my being that I can beat Michael Zerafa. I can’t finish boxing until I get in that pipsqueak’s face and put him away for the pleasure of everyone in Australia.

“I want my revenge on that man.”

Hardman accepts he cannot afford another defeat at a critical juncture in his career.

Unbeaten in his first 12 fights, the power puncher has failed twice in his past four bouts, buried by Zerafa before a controversial split-decision loss to Rohan Murdock jumping up to super middleweight in March.

But Hardman bounced back with a clinical six-round disposal of Japan’s Kazuki Kyohara in August in his No Limit debut, a performance that convinced the Brisbane banger he is world class.

“I’m not a domestic level fighter anymore,” said Hardman, ranked the No.23 middleweight in the world on Boxrec.

“I know my next opponent (Coleman) is tall, that will present some challenges.

“But there’s levels in boxing and he is a level below me.

“The Zerafa loss was a wake-up call. Unfortunately in this sport, the magic happens when you lose, it forces you to get better and I have upgraded software.

“I have worked on my angles and movement. I’m not just looking to blast people out.

“Coleman has a good record and he will come to fight, but I’m on the cusp of breaking into the world scene and I will make sure it’s a long flight back to England for him.”