Jeff Fenech still in danger...

[bennie]

The wounds on Jeff Fenech's face have begun to heal, but the scars of a brutal stabbing back in January continue to haunt the Boxing Hall of Famer's life.
On Jan. 4, Fenech went out to eat with family and friends in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. After dinner, he started chatting with a group of young men in a car outside the restaurant.
"We were talking and joking," Fenech said. "One of them got cheeky and started an argument, and the next thing I know I'm fighting four guys.''
One of the assailants cracked Fenech on the side of the face with a bottle. "I had a hole on the side of my face so big you could've set a golf ball in there," Fenech said.
Surgery the next day closed the opening, and time has reduced the scar, though it's still visible.
However, Fenech's attackers continue to harass the former world bantamweight and junior featherweight champion.
"I've had some death threats, phone calls," Fenech said. "These are some young guys who don't have any respect for life. I've got to be very careful. I'm a public figure and I'm known where I go."
The most recent threat came the day Fenech and his wife left Australia to come to this weekend's International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canastota. As a precaution, the Feneches sent their three children to an undisclosed location in Australia while they are gone.
"I don't worry about myself," Fenech said. "It's my wife and children. That's what I'm worried about."
Fenech, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, fought some epic battles during his years in the ring. He staged two memorable fights with Class of 2004 inductee Azumah Nelson, and he also fought Daniel Zaragoza, another member of this year's class.
Fenech represented Australia in the 1984 Olympics and captured the IBF's bantamweight title in his sixth professional fight, making him the third-fastest boxer ever to achieve world champion status.
He remains a sporting hero in Australia. He has stayed in boxing with a line of boxing equipment and as a trainer. The attack on him, a random act of violence against a national treasure, remains a mystery.
"National hero or whatever, the world's changed," Fenech said. "I don't think it was meant to happen."
In addition to his facial injuries, Fenech suffered a concussion in the one-on-four brawl. Still very much a boxer with a boxer's mentality, Fenech said he never went down. The men jumped back in their car when patrons began coming out of the restaurant.
"The police arrived and I was still pretty heated," Fenech said. "When the adrenaline's pumping, it keeps on pumping for a bit, especially in a fighter."
Although it sounds odd, luck was in Fenech's corner that evening.
He and his wife had just sent their children home with their driver as they were planning on remaining with their friends. The children didn't see the fight or their father's wounds.
Second, while the bottle slashed open Fenech's face, it just missed severing blood vessels that might've caused permanent damage.
"It wasn't just a cut. It was a whole junk," Fenech said. "My face was hanging like a mud flap."
Finally, behind the car with the four men in it was a second car with an unknown number of passengers.
"There was a gun in the other car," Fenech said. "I was probably fortunate to get hit with a bottle and not shot with a gun."
Fenech knows this because the police eventually arrested two of his attackers. While conducting a phone tap as part of a weapons investigation, the police heard a man bragging about his role in the fight. That man is currently in jail, while another is awaiting a court date. The others remain free.
Fenech suspects the ones who remain at large are making the threatening phone calls.
"You can't change your life," Fenech said. "I've just got to be a little more careful. Sometimes being a celebrity, you take things for granted and you think things like this can't happen to you.
"I'm not going to let them ruin my life. I'm just a little more careful."
In meantime, Fenech plans to enjoy this weekend in Canastota, sharing some boxing memories with some old foes.
"We go through a lot, and preparations are very difficult," Fenech said. "You share something with these people."

[silkov]

He's very lucky he didn't lose and eye or that the bottle didn't slash open his throat instead. I've got nothing but disgust for cowards who do this type of thing....... hope they eventually get pulled in!... 8) .

[KOJOE90]

I've got nothing but disgust for cowards who do this type of thing....... hope they eventually get pulled in!... 8) .

I feel the same mate, Fenechs attackers are just a bunch of cowardly, educationaly subnormal scum.

[daniel son]

They probably wouldn't have looked twice at Fenech if they were alone but you know how brave people can be in a group, is this a new trend or what? that's a few well known boxers now that have been attacked and funnily enough all these attacks have been one man against at least 3 guys, so it does go to show that these guys are just scum & cowards to boot.

[KOJOE90]

They probably wouldn't have looked twice at Fenech if they were alone but you know how brave people can be in a group, is this a new trend or what? that's a few well known boxers now that have been attacked and funnily enough all these attacks have been one man against at least 3 guys, so it does go to show that these guys are just scum & cowards to boot.

On this type of topic.

As you live in Glasgow I was just wondering has there been anymore info on Scott Dixons attack?

[daniel son]

I spoke to a guy on the scottish boxing website and he said that Scott was doing as well as can be expected and that he was up and about albeit on crutches and that Scott is hopeful that he can resume his career when his injuries have healed, i was wondering about him maybe coming back and he's only 27 so he's got some time yet, i also hope Eamonn Magee comes back as well,i like his style and it was a shame the way it worked out for him with the Mitchell fight on the horizon.

edit: i've not heard any news on any suspects regarding the Dixon attack, but tguy i spoke to said Scott was adamant that it was not connected to the boxing world.

[KOJOE90]

I spoke to a guy on the scottish boxing website and he said that Scott was doing as well as can be expected and that he was up and about albeit on crutches and that Scott is hopeful that he can resume his career when his injuries have healed, i was wondering about him maybe coming back and he's only 27 so he's got some time yet, i also hope Eamonn Magee comes back as well,i like his style and it was a shame the way it worked out for him with the Mitchell fight on the horizon.

edit: i've not heard any news on any suspects regarding the Dixon attack, but tguy i spoke to said Scott was adamant that it was not connected to the boxing world.

Thanks for the reply.

I to hope Dixon and Magee can resume their careers.