Australia’s former three-division boxing champion Jeff Fenech is hospitalized and preparing to undergo open-heart surgery following another serious health scare.
The 62-year-old was reportedly admitted to Strathfield Private Hospital in Sydney earlier this month after experiencing severe fatigue and breathing difficulties.
Fenech previously underwent emergency heart surgery in 2019 and another operation in 2024 following a serious bacterial infection. After the 2019 operation in Thailand, Fenech recovered in time to return to Sydney and surprise his daughter Jessica by walking her down the aisle at her wedding.
His son-in-law, Australian rugby league player Bradman Best, expressed confidence in his recovery last week.
“He’s always a fighter. He’s been in there with a few heart problems and stuff, but he’ll be good,” Best said.
Fenech won world championships at bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight during his professional career, finishing with a record of 29-3-1 and 21 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.
More recently, Fenech has been working as head trainer to former world champion Tim Tszyu, whose preparations for a middleweight title fight against Erislandy Lara have been disrupted by his hospitalization.
Assistant trainer Basil Nassis has taken over Tszyu’s preparations while Fenech receives treatment, per reports.