Fenech should face brawl charges: friend

A lifelong friend of boxing great Jeff Fenech says the famed pugilist should face
charges after an argument between the pair turned violent.
Police questioned Fenech, 44, from Five Dock in Sydney's inner west, over the
incident at his friend Peter Mitrevski's house at Banksia about 5pm (AEDT) on
Monday.
He was released without charge pending further investigation into the row, which
left Fenech needing stitches in his hand, while Mr Mitrevski had a tooth knocked
out.
Fenech claims it was "just two friends having an argument", but his mate reckons the
triple world champion should face court for his thuggish behaviour.
"I think he should be charged because what he's done means he can go to any place,
take a friend and smack the bloke in the mouth," Mr Mitrevski told the Nine Network
on Tuesday.
He claims the pair hadn't been speaking for several weeks and Fenech king hit him
while they were arguing.
"Then I said to him: 'Is that the best you can do?', then he hit me again, then he
grabbed me by the throat, then he was choking me," he said.
"We've always had arguments, but we've never ever come to this. You know I've known
him all my life."
Fenech apologised to his friend via the media on Tuesday, saying it was an accident
and he never meant to hurt him.
"I went over there to really try and fix things up ... and all of a sudden Peter
threw a couple of punches," Fenech told the Austereo Network.
"I threw one and I tried to punch Peter just in the chest to try and wind him or
something, but it kind of rebounded off his chest and hit him in the mouth.
"You wouldn't believe it but when this stupid punch I threw landed and when I saw
him blow up, I thought: 'Don't tell me I've hurt my best mate' - and that was my
first concern.
"I looked and saw the blood was coming out of my hand. That made me feel a little
better."
He said he was "pretty disappointed" Mr Mitrevski then called the police.
Fenech said he hoped the pair would be able to move on and repair their 40-year
friendship.
"He was the most important member - apart from my trainer - of my boxing career and
to just throw that out the window would be disappointing, but I do hope ... we can
sit down together and fix this up," Fenech said.
"This is a guy who is at my house five nights a week, who's with my family every day
if I'm not here, who looks after my wife and children - so we're just hoping this
can be resolved.
"I just wish no police were involved ... Hopefully, they'll realise it was just two
friends having an argument."