Boxing legend Jeff Fenech fears for his life after being struck down with a serious illness in Thailand – as he desperately fights to return home in time for his daughter’s wedding
The 55-year-old said he was sweating, shaking and could barely talk when he was admitted to hospital.
Fenech also has a lung infection, pain in his limbs and has been coughing up blood.
‘Every night I have been here I think I’m not going to wake up tomorrow,’ he told the Sunday Telegraph.
His wife, Suzee, is waiting to be given the all-clear to jump on a plane to Bangkok so she can take Fenech home to Australia.
Fenech has been in Thailand since last Tuesday with other boxers for a training camp but his health quickly deteriorated and he was taken to hospital.
‘Then all of a sudden, the ambulance came. The lady said: “I can’t tell you what would have happened if you didn’t come to the hospital”. It wouldn’t have been good news,’ Fenech said.
He said he finds it impossible to sleep as he is in so much pain.
Fenech had begun complaining to his wife about the pain before he left – a sign she now said should have made him stay home.
However, he didn’t want to disappoint the boxers.
‘He has been ringing me all night. He sounds like he is in so much pain. I have been with him for 24 years and never seen in this kind of situation. It’s awful, really scary,’ she said.
One of the fighters with Fenech – Brock Jarvis – called Mrs Fenech to tell her what had happened.
The team of boxers is set to return on Tuesday – but Mrs Fenech doesn’t believe her husband will make that flight.
The family desperately want him home to attend Jessica’s wedding.
Fenech, also known as the ‘Marrickville Mauler’, is one of Australia’s most high-profile fighters.
He represented Australia at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the United States as boxing captain – the same year he started in the sport.
Despite disappointment at the Olympics, Fenech quickly cemented his status as a professional boxer.
However, by 1987 he started to feel pain in his hands – and his passion for being in the ring himself started to die out.
Fenech was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.
Fenech trained Mike Tyson when the world heavyweight champion decided to come out of retirement.
