Boxing icon Jeff Fenech provides health update after undergoing open heart surgery following major scare

Jeff Fenech has undergone open heart surgery after being hospitalized with a mysterious illness.

Australia’s greatest ever fighter had been undergoing urgent tests on his heart at a private hospital in Sydney’s inner west after his body temperature reached close to 40 degrees earlier this week.

As a result, he was not on the Main Event broadcast for Curtis Scott’s professional boxing debut on Wednesday night, but his TV colleague Ben Damon has since confirmed that Fenech, 59, is on the mend after doctors replaced a leaking infected heart valve.

‘Good news!’ he tweeted. ‘The legendary Jeff Fenech has had successful open heart surgery to replace a leaking infected heart valve and is now recovering in hospital.

‘The surgeon is satisfied with how the six-hour operation went.’

This is the second time the former world champion has undergone open heart surgery. Back in 2019, surgeons in Thailand replaced another infected valve while he was vacationing there.

Speaking to News Corp on Wednesday, Fenech said: ‘I feel like an idiot.

‘I am as sick as a dog. I have a mysterious infection. I’m tired of it.

‘They think it has something to do with my heart and clapping. They have done a lot of tests. I don’t yet know what the results are.’

He first had to have open heart surgery as he battled pneumonia, with the operation forcing him to miss his daughter Jess’ wedding.

The ‘Marrickville Mauler’ began coughing up blood and had a convulsive seizure before being admitted to hospital in Bangkok, where doctors carried out a five-hour operation to drain fluid from the boxing legend’s lungs and replace his heart valve.

“I have some pretty bad news, I have an infected flap connected to my heart,” he explained in 2019.

“Which means over the next few days they’ll be trying to get rid of the infection and then I’ll have to have surgery.”

He then broke down in tears at not being able to stay in the camp with his boxers.

“I feel really bad for the rest of the team,” said a distraught Fenech.

Fenech first announced himself in the sport when he represented Australia at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where he was denied a chance to compete for a medal by a highly controversial decision.

He went on to compile a professional record of 29 wins, 21 of which came by knockout, three losses and an infamous decision that drew his first fight with Azumah Nelson in 1991.

Fenech won bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight titles, and was subsequently awarded the WBC super featherweight title in 2022 when the World Boxing Council corrected the result of that fight against Nelson.

He retired in 1996 and has since trained fighters including Danny Green and his good friend, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.