With bigger fish to fry, world title hopeful Tim Tszyu is refusing to be baited into a "circus" act with fellow Australian boxer Michael Zerafa.
Zerafa once again called out Tszyu after ending Anthony Mundine's career earlier this month in a low-key bout in Bendigo.
Zerafa demanded Tszyu "stop running" and step into the ring for a fight he claimed all Australian boxing fans wanted to see.
Tszyu, though, on Tuesday said just as Zerafa's two-minute non-event with Mundine should never have happened, he won't be used as a pawn for Zerafa to try to make a name - and money - for himself.
"I find the whole thing about him is he's tryng to do a circus. He's trying to gain media attention," Tszyu told AAP ahead of his super welterweight battle next week with Irishman Dennis Hogan.
"If it wasn't for me, who's he going to fight?
"He sees himself as this A-class fighter and a pay-per-view fighter and in reality he's not.
"He's trying to use his mouth to get the fight."
Tszyu said fighting 45-year-old Mundine was sad and disrespectful and described Zerafa as a "last option".
"If there's nothing else on the table, then we'll pursue that," said the undefeated Sydneysider.
"You don't get an opportunity by beating a 47-year-old grandfather. Let's just say that.
"I've got top-10 options that I'm going for. The world title opportunities, the Liam Smiths, the (Magomed) Kurbanovs, the Danny Garcias, they're the boys I want.
"They're the big boys in the division that I want to play with.
"We got offered the Mundine fight and I said straight away it's not happening.
"It's disrespectful for Mundine. He's a grandfather, he's 47 years old. Who does that? There's a time when just enough's enough."
The 26-year-old is so focused on his pursuit of a world championship that when told Zerafa had also challenged Dustin Martin to a charity fight last December that Tszyu needed reminding the Richmond superstar was an AFL player.
"Who's Dustin?" Tszyu said.
"An AFL player? Oh right ... There you go. That's the circus that they're involved in."
Tszyu's ultimate goal is to fight either Argentina's WBO belt holder Brian Castano or potentially American Jermell Charlo, who boasts the WBA, WBC and IBF straps, in a unified mega-fight for all four titles.
In the meantime, he's biding his time and says his objective against Hogan is simple.
"Just knock him out. Whoever stands in my way, just to take them out," Tszyu said.
"I'm improving as a fighter, I get better each time and I've been proving that to everyone.
"I'm targeting the big boys in the division. I'm going to get the opportunity to fight one of those guys soon, so I've got to be a hundred per cent ready."
