Jeff Fenech reveals how Jeff Horn must fight to beat Tim Tszyu

Jeff Fenech has coached some of the biggest names in boxing and the all-time great believes Jeff Horn must shatter Tim Tszyu’s confidence in order to beat him in their proposed battle next year.

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Jeff Horn must jump on Tim Tszyu in the first round of their proposed multi-million-dollar fight next year and break his confidence just as he did against Michael Zerafa in Brisbane last week.

That’s the advice from Australia’s most successful fighter Jeff Fenech, the three-time world champion and one of the great boxing tacticians in Australia who has at various times coached such world-beaters as Mike Tyson, Danny Green, Daniel Geale, Sakio Bika and Vic Darchinyan.

Jeff Horn digs in a body punch against Michael Zerafa at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on December 18. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Fenech rightly tipped that Zerafa would beat Horn in Bendigo and told Horn that he would need to shatter Zerafa’s confidence in Brisbane if he was to gain any revenge.

That’s exactly what Horn did, dominating the first half of the fight and roaring back from a beating in Round 9 to score an astonishing revenge victory on points.

Fenech says picking a winner between Horn and Tszyu is ``a tough call’’.

Horn is much more experience on the world stage but takes a lot of punishment.

Tszyu is lightning fast but has yet to be tested in a knock-‘em down drag-‘em-out dogfight, the kind of brutal, savage brawl in which Horn excels.

Tim Tszyu (right) and Jack Brubaker during their super-welterweight fight at the International Convention Centre in Sydney on December 6. (AAP Image/Brendon Thorne)

``Horn is an awkward fighter to take on because he is so unorthodox,’’ Fenech said.

``Zerafa came into the fight in Brisbane full of confidence but Horn hurt him in the opening round with a couple of right hands and Zerafa’s confidence left him. He knew he was in for a rough night.

``That’s what Horn would have to do against Tszyu, knock that speed out of him by stamping his authority in the first round. He must put Tszyu on the back foot and force him to defend rather than go on the front foot with those fast hands.

``We haven’t seen Tszyu under any great pressure in his fights and pressure is the one thing we know for certain that Jeff Horn will bring.’’

Fenech trained Tszyu’s last opponent Jack Brubaker who was stopped in four one-sided rounds by a much superior technician.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson with his trainer Jeff Fenech at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006.

Significantly though, Brubaker was never off his feet despite taking one big right hand after another which calls into question Tszyu’s power when matched with a proven finisher such as Horn.

Tszyu is also being called out by Rio Olympian Daniel Lewis, who lost to Tszyu in the amateurs but then beat him for his place at the 2016 Games.

Horn says Tszyu is not his preferred option for his next bout and that he would rather fight for a world junior-middleweight title.

Jeff Fenech (left) and Jeff Horn at the Wally Lewis statue outside Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Picture: Darren England.

But his promoter Dean Lonergan and Tszyu’s promoter Matt Rose are pushing ahead with the bout as the biggest money-making option for both parties.

Horn is ready to rumble again.

``Tim is a good boxer,’’ Horn said, ``he’s fast and he he’s put together some good wins against good opponents including Joel Camilleri from my gym.

``But I don’t think Tim has the physical strength or the same sort of experience against world-class opponents that I’ve had. I’ve beaten Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest of all time and Anthony Mundine, who was the face of Australian boxing for years.

``I’ll back myself against Tim every day of the week.’’

Horn is insisting on a 60-40 split of the purse his way and insists that the fight must be staged in Brisbane rather than tszyu’s hometown of Sydney.