As Jeff Horn prepares for the biggest fight of his career and potentially the biggest fight that Australia has ever seen against WBO Welterweight champion eight division title winner Manny Pacquiao, The Roar takes a look at his top five fights.
Turning pro in 2013 after the London Olympics, where he was defeated in the quarterfinals as a welterweight, Horne has made an impressive start to his career with a fight record of 16-1-0 with 11 knockouts.
He has captured the Australian, WBO Oriental, WBO and IBF Inter-Continental, WBA Pan African and the PABA Inter-Continent6al titles in the Welterweight division.
Horn has not been defeated so far and had a rematch with the man who he drew with in his third professional bout.
5. Rivan Cesaire – WBO Oriental Welterweight title – 2014
In a rematch with the only man Horn failed to defeat, Horn bounced back immediately. The stakes were high with the WBO Oriental Welterweight title on the line. In a nine round battle for the title Horn was able to get the upper hand and get a TKO victory over Cesarie which gave him his first WBO title and pavde the way for his future.
4. Rico Mueller – IBF Inter-Continental title – 2016
After the Bailey defeat, Horn put up his IBF Inter-Continental Title against Rico Mueller. Horn easily got the better of Mueller in a six round TKO effort. The World Boxing Organisation would rank the Australian as no.2 contender for Manny Pacquiao’s title after this fight.
3. Samuel Colomban – Australian Welterweight Title – 2013
In his fifth pro fight in as many months, Horn went up against current champ Samuel Colomban. Horn made short work of his opponent, knocking him out in the very first round. This gave Horn his first boxing title and set the path to bigger and better things for the future.
2. Randall Bailey – WBO Oriental, WBO/IBF Inter-Continental titles – 2016
To start his most successful boxing year thus far, Horn fought Randall Bailey – a former two division IBF champion and who had nearly 50 fights under his belt. Horn was flooded by Bailey in the second round, but recovered to return the favour in the third.
After the seventh round Bailey refused to come out of his corner and Horn became the first man to make the former champion quit. This fight would gain plenty of attention for Horn.
1. Ali Funeka – WBO Inter-Continental title
His last fight is certainly his best and most significant. In front of a vocal crowd, Horn put on a display that won him the right to fight Manny Pacqauiao for his title.
Putting his own WBO Inter-Continental title up for grabs, Horn knocked down the former IBO Welterweight champion twice and secured his spot as the no.1 contender, winning by TKO. This would push Horn onto the world stage and bring what could be one the biggest fights in Australian history to our shores.
Regardless of the result, Horn has done what no other Australia fighter has ever done – brought the biggest star in the sport at the time to Australia for a fight. Danny Green brought Roy Jones JR, but the West Australian had to put his title and pretty much everything else on the line to get him here.
Meanwhile, Horn is in an everything to gain situation.
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