Jeff Horn v Terence Crawford: Jeff Horn forced to train in oppressive heat in Las Vegas

JEFF Horn’s team is burning with anger after being forced to train in a dilapidated sauna-like Las Vegas gymnasium for his world title defence against American Terence Crawford next week.

JEFF Horn’s team is burning with anger after being forced to train in a dilapidated sauna-like Las Vegas gymnasium for his world title defence against American Terence Crawford next week.

Horn, 30, who normally trains in a state of the art facility inside the mansion of his Brisbane coach Glenn Rushton, found himself struggling in the oppressive summer heat of the Nevada desert at his promoter’s antiquated Top Rank Gymnasium.

He fights Crawford on Sunday week (Australian time) before a worldwide television audience at the 16,000-seat MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

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Jetlagged and jaded, Horn tried to recover from the long flight from Brisbane at the Top Rank boxing gym in Las Vegas on Thursday only to find the temperature at almost 40 degrees and no air conditioning.

``The Americans are doing everything to try to rattle me,’’ Horn said.

``I got off the long flight from Brisbane and did a few rounds to loosen up but it was just too hot to train in that gym for too long. I could have damaged myself.

Jeff Horn after training in oppressive conditions at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas.

``Who builds a brick and tin gym in the desert with no air conditioning anyway?’’

Horn said he felt totally disrespected by the Crawford camp and said his US promoters were doing him no favours.

Although Horn is the world welterweight champion and Crawford the challenger, in the US the fight is being promoted as Crawford-Horn.

The Fighting Schoolteacher said he hoped a quick KO over the cocky American would put his detractors in their place and he was aiming to finish the fight in the opening round if he could.

``I won the Australian title with a first-round knockout in 2013 and I’d love to stop Crawford just as quickly. It would shut a lot of people up,’’ he said.

Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton is likely to move his boxer to a better gym nearby that is used by Kiwi trainer Kevin Barry as the Las Vegas base for his New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker.

Jeff Horn training at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas.

``The facilities and conditions here are very oppressive,’’ Rushton said.

``We were expected to work out in 40 degree heat and I believe the temperature is going above 40 next week ahead of the fight.

``The Top Rank gym has a tin roof so the heat is stifling. The people who run it told us the air conditioning didn’t work. Then we tried to get the big metal roller doors lifted but they were locked tight and no one had the key. The punching bags were in poor shape and the speed ball was totally deflated. We eventually got one of the roller doors up yesterday but we don’t want to continue training there.

``It was tough for Jeff but our whole philosophy is about finding ways to overcome tough times.’’

Rushton said it would probably take three days for Horn to regain the sparkling form he had before the flight across the Pacific into the Vegas furnace.

``I was very happy with the way Jeff trained last week in Brisbane and he will get there again soon,’’ Rushton said.

``Hundreds of millions of people will watch this fight and nothing, not the American trash talk, not the horsehair gloves Crawford is planning to use, not Crawford’s postponing of the fight and not this ridiculously hot gym will derail us.

``Jeff beat a legend in Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp last year and he’ll score another huge win against Terence Crawford.’’

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