Horn now Australian boxing’s main man after stunning Mundine KO
Related Story: It took just one round: Horn knocks Mundine to the canvas in Brisbane Related Story: Jeff Horn KOs Anthony Mundine in just 96 seconds, as it happened
Jeff Horn is now the undisputed main attraction of Australian boxing after comprehensively ending the era of Anthony Mundine.
Key points:
- Jeff Horn emphatically knocked Anthony Mundine out inside the first round of the highly anticipated fight
- Mundine declares his "time's up" as a boxer following his ninth career loss
- Win for Horn comes as he tries to rebuild after 2018 loss to Terence Crawford
The former WBO welterweight champion bounced back from his defeat to American Terence Crawford in June with a devastating first round knockout of Mundine at Lang Park on Friday night.
The 96-second victory puts Horn's career back on track towards future world title bouts.
Post-fight, Mundine anointed Horn as the man to lead the sport in Australia going forward.
"There's some pressure with that because Mundine had that wrapped around his finger and he's done like an amazing job picking up boxing in Australia," Horn said afterwards.
"He's an unheard of type of athlete … it's a little bit daunting in a way knowing that that's on my shoulders now."
Horn's trainer Glenn Rushton and promoter Dean Lonergan are already thinking big for the 30-year-old.
Rushton said Horn's display at the 71-kilogram catchweight against Mundine opened up several possible future paths for his charge.
"We'll be looking at all opportunities in three weight divisions really," Rushton said.
"I see that Jeff can fight at welterweight, I know he can make welter, he fought all his amateur career at 64 [kgs].
"He showed tonight he can easily adapt to either super-welter or light-middle as it's known or even middleweight.
"You've got to go where the big fights are, we want the big fights, there's no point fighting the easy fights."
Horn's camp has already flagged an intention to try and lure Crawford to Australia for a rematch after the American inflicted Horn's only professional defeat in Las Vegas in June.
Potential bouts against Mexican WBA super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez or American two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter are also options interesting Rushton and Lonergan.
Above all, Rushton wants to use Horn's Australian drawcard status to bring big fights here and not force his man to head overseas.
"Stuff Vegas. Stuff America. Let's bring the big fights here," Rushton said.
"I want to see Jeff Horn bring these big fights to Australia."
AAP
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ABC .net
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