Australian former world boxing champion Jeff Fenech has posted an update on his health after being hospitalised with a mystery infection that he fears could leave him needing a second round of heart surgery.
The country’s greatest ever fighter has undergone urgent tests on his heart at a private hospital in Sydney’s inner west after his body temperature reached close to 40 degrees.
‘I feel s**thouse. I’m sick as a dog. I have a mystery infection,’ the 59-year-old told News Corp on Wednesday.
‘They think it has something to do with my heart and valves. They have done heaps of tests. I don’t yet know what the results are.’
The former world champion in four weight classes revealed he was first hospitalised on Tuesday after running a high temperature of up to 39.8 degrees for 12 days.
Fenech (pictured with his daughter Kayla, left, and wife Suzee, right) is desperate to avoid another round of open-heart surgery as doctors run tests to find the source of his infection
The 59-year-old (pictured with wife Suzee) said he is ‘sick as a dog’ due to a ‘mystery infection’
He also has highly inflamed and swollen wrist which he said doctors believe could be the result of an infection that is spreading through his body from the valves in his heart.
On Wednesday night, Fenech posted a short clip to Instagram giving fans an update on his condition.
‘Hey, all you people out there. I just want to say sorry if I haven’t wished you happy birthday or missed something that I always do,’ Fenech said from his hospital bed.
‘I just want you to know that I’m pretty sick at the moment in the hospital fighting a disease… I really don’t know what I’ve got yet.
‘Going through numerous tests and hopefully I’ll be better soon and be able to communicate with all the people who have supported me throughout my career.
‘I love you all. Thank you.’
Fenech is desperate to avoid another surgical procedure after having life-saving open-heart surgery in Thailand in 2019.
The Marrickville Mauler is pictured as he recovered from a life-saving bout of open-heart surgery in Thailand in 2019
The Hall of Fame boxer is desperate to avoid another round of surgery after suffering a huge scare while he was in Thailand for a training camp (pictured)
He needed that procedure as he battled pneumonia, with the operation forcing him to miss his daughter Jess’s wedding.
The ‘Marrickville Mauler’ started to cough up blood and had a shaking fit before being admitted to hospital in Bangkok, where doctors performed a five-hour operation and drained fluid from the boxing legend’s lungs and replaced his heart valve.
‘I’ve got some pretty bad news, I’ve got an infected valve that’s connected to my heart,’ he explained in 2019.
‘Which means over the next few days they’ll try to get rid of the infection and then I’ll have to have surgery.’
He then broke down in tears about not being able to stay at the camp with his boxers.
Fenech (pictured in his 1992 bout against Azumah Nelson) is Australia’s greatest boxer after winning titles in four weight divisions
‘I feel really bad for the rest of the team,’ a distraught Fenech said.
Fenech first announced himself in the sport when he represented Australia at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where he was robbed of a chance to contend for a medal by a highly controversial decision.
He went on to compile a professional record of 29 wins with 21 of those coming by knockout, three losses and an infamous judges’ decision that saw his first bout with Azumah Nelson scored a draw in 1991.
Fenech won titles at bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight, and was retrospectively awarded the WBC super-featherweight title in 2022 as the World Boxing Council corrected the result of that bout against Nelson.
He retired in 1996 and has since trained fighters including Danny Green and his good friend, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.