Jeff Horn v Terence Crawford superfight: Aussie star has shot at best pound for pound boxer if successful

WITH some huge bouts beckoning if successful over Terence Crawford in Las Vegas next weekend, Jeff Horn wants a nickname change. And a Hugh Jackman movie has provided the perfect inspiration.

TWO years ago Jeff Horn came to Las Vegas as an anonymous tourist with his wife in the days when The Fighting Schoolteacher earned $40,000 a year in purses as a part-time boxer.

HORN FIGHT: Where to watch bout in Brisbane

Horn arrived in Vegas on Wednesday (EST), the same humble young sportsman, but now with a big entourage and great expectations as the world welterweight champion whose earnings this financial year will nudge $5 million as one of Australian sport’s biggest money-makers.

More than $2 million will come from his title defence on Sunday week against the crafty, cocky and undefeated American challenger Terence Crawford, described recently by the mighty Floyd Mayweather as a younger version of himself.

Jeff Horn has arrived in Las Vegas in preparation for the big fight.

Horn says that his win over 11-time world champ Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium last year and a win against Crawford next week will just be the start of huge fights for him against the cream of the boxing crop.

Mexican mauler Canelo Alvarez and the mighty middleweight Gennady Golovkin are both on his radar.

A win against Crawford following the Pacquiao victory less than 12 months ago, would give great weight to Horn being named the best fighter in the world pound for pound.

On Thursday he went through a series of stretches with strength and conditioning guru Dundee Kim and a light six-round workout with his boxing trainer Glenn Rushton at the Top Rank Gym on Business Lane in Las Vegas.

But it was only light duties as he shook off the jetlag after 15 hours of flying from Brisbane.

Horn said he hardly slept the whole way even though his five-month-old daughter Isabelle managed to get five hours of shuteye in her special air travel bassinet.

Horn and wife Jo wiled their time away across the Pacific watching movies - Daddy’s Home 2, the Disaster Artist and one he especially enjoyed, Hugh Jackman’s The Greatest Showman.

That’s the title Horn wants for himself after next week’s fight and he intends to put on a memorable performance on Sunday week at the MGM Grand.

Jeff Horn and his entourage arrive in Las Vegas.

“Early in my career Glenn Rushton sat me down and told me that I was no longer a fighter but an entertainer,’’ Horn explained.

“I was now in the business of creating excitement and Glenn said he wanted me to be an all-action hero.

“That’s the fighting style I’ve adopted and the one that Crawford will face next week. The showman side comes from my high workrate and good boxing. I plan to upset Crawford’s style, upset his rhythm and not left him show those crafty skills he’s known for.

“I’ll be applying a lot of pressure, changing angles constantly and firing power shots from both hands while changing stance between orthodox and southpaw.

“Glenn told me that as professional boxer it was my choice whether I became a rich and famous one or a poor, anonymous battler.

“He told me that some world champions fight for $100,000, and some for $100 million. Which one did I want to be?’

“If you want to make it big and earn the big purses in boxing you have to entertain the crowd and I think this will be a very entertaining fight. We’re both unbeaten, we’re both world champions, we can both hit and we both have awkward styles.

Horn said Crawford’s biggest weapons were his stunning punch accuracy and his split-second timing.

A big win over Manny Pacquiao put Jeff Horn on the map.

“I’ve really got to look out for the surprise uppercuts he throws. He’s very good at timing his shots. I have to feint a lot to make him uncertain of when I’m coming in and hit him very hard when I do.’’

Horn plans to counter Crawford’s movement with constant pressure and Rushton’s carefully constructed 12-point plan to shut down Crawford’s long-range missiles with a ferocious close-combat strategy.

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