- Ms Fenech, 59, was admitted to hospital in Sydney on Tuesday.
- Doctors fear the infection may be spreading from the heart.
- Champ underwent life-saving heart surgery in 2019
Australia's former world boxing champion Jeff Fenech has been hospitalized with a mysterious infection, raising fears he may need a second heart operation.
The country's greatest ever martial artist underwent emergency cardiac tests at a private hospital in Sydney's inner west after his body temperature reached nearly 40 degrees.
“I feel terrible. I'm sick as a dog. I have a mysterious infection,” the 59-year-old told News Corp.
Fenech (pictured with daughter Kayla (left) and wife Susie (right)) is desperately trying to avoid another open-heart surgery as doctors run tests to find the source of the infection.
The 59-year-old man (pictured with wife Susie) said he was “sick as a dog” due to a “mysterious infection”.
“They think it has something to do with my heart and valves. They've done a ton of tests. We don't know yet what the results will be.”
The former three-division world champion revealed he was hospitalized for the first time on Tuesday after suffering from a high fever of up to 39.8 degrees Celsius for 12 days.
He also said his wrist was severely inflamed and swollen, which doctors believe may be the result of an infection that spreads from his heart valve throughout his body.
Fenech is desperate to avoid further surgery after undergoing lifesaving open-heart surgery in Thailand in 2019.
Marrickville Moller is pictured recovering from life-saving open heart surgery in Thailand in 2019.
Hall of Fame boxer is desperate to avoid another surgery after suffering a major scare while in Thailand for a training camp (pictured)
He needed the surgery as he was battling pneumonia, and the surgery forced him to miss his daughter Jess's wedding.
The 'Marrickville Maurer' was admitted to a Bangkok hospital after coughing up blood and having a shaking attack, where doctors performed a five-hour operation to drain fluid from the boxing legend's lungs and open his heart valve. Exchanged.
“I have some pretty bad news: The valve that connects to the heart is infected,” he explained in 2019.
“So for the next few days they'll be trying to remove the infection. Then I'll have to have surgery.”
Afterwards, he broke down in tears over not being able to stay in camp with the boxers.
Fenech (pictured in a 2008 match with Azuma Nelson) is Australia's greatest ever boxer, having won titles in four weight divisions.
“I feel really bad for the rest of the team,” said a distraught Fenech.
Fenech first announced her intention to compete in the sport when she represented Australia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where a highly controversial decision deprived her of the chance to compete for a medal.
He went on to amass a professional record of 29 wins, including 21 by knockout, three losses, and his first fight against Azuma Nelson in 1991, which was infamously decided as a draw by the judges.
Fenech held the bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight titles and was retroactively awarded the WBC super featherweight title in 2022 after the World Boxing Council corrected the results of his match with Nelson.
He retired in 1996 and has since coached fighters such as Danny Green and his good friend, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
