Cessnock boxer Troy O'Meley has been labelled "unprofessional" by opponent Jack Brubaker after weighing in two kilograms over weight for their fight in Sydney on Wednesday night.
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The 30-year-old, who hopes to take on Nikita Tszyu if he wins the six-round bout, tipped the scales at 73.12kg on Tuesday, above the agreed catchweight of 70.85kg.
'The scales at the sauna were a bit off, but I knew I was a little bit over anyway," O'Meley said.
"I've had two fights fall through before this one and I've always trained, but I didn't care about my food too much before this fight. Sorry Jack, he knows I'll be fair in the fight."
The incident angered Brubaker, who is having his first fight in more than two years. He weighed in at 70.72kg.
"You can't be calling out Nikita yesterday and then coming in two kilos over," he said.
"It's pretty unprofessional coming in that far over ... but it is what it is, we're both fighters and we're going to put on a good show."
O'Meley, holding a record of 14 wins, three losses and a draw, has been living in Thailand for much of the past year but returns to the ring in Australia for the first time since losing to Sam Soliman in Melbourne last March.
Prior to that, he lost consecutive bouts to Gunnedah's Wade Ryan, the second of which was on a Tim Tszyu-headlined card at Broadmeadow in July, 2021.
He is keen to land a fight against Tszyu, the younger brother of world champion Tim, if he gets past Brubaker.
"I've got what it takes to beat Jack, for sure," O'Meley said.
"The winner of this fight deserves Nikita.
"He's been calling people out I've seen, and I'm ready for Nikita.
"If he's ready to go, I'm ready to go."
Brubaker (16 wins, four losses, two draws), who lost to Tim Tszyu in 2019, hasn't fought since losing to Queenslander Steve Spark in April, 2021.
He took time out from boxing to start a family, but said he had unfinished business in the sport, indicating a desire to fight Nikita Tszyu next as well.
No Limit Boxing promoter Geroge Rose said of Brubaker: "One of the biggest characters in Australian boxing. People have been asking about where he has been for the last few years. That's the impact that he has had."
Rose added of the duo's aspirations to land Tszyu: "When fighters like this make call outs like that, it makes my job really easy. I know it's always tough to match Nikita, so when Troy and Jack both want a piece of him, that's something that I can make happen. That's something that I will make happen."
