Jeff Horn v Tim Tszyu: Nasty war of words erupts ahead of fight

No city or venue has been decided on yet but Jeff Horn hopes his much-anticipated showdown with Tim Tszyu in April can take on a State of Origin mentality in his home state.

• Tszyu’s vow to punish ‘greedy’ Horn
• It’s on: How Horn-Tszyu became official

Jeff Horn is hoping Brisbane will back him in for his looming battle with Tim Tszyu in the same way the city supported his monumental victory over all-time great Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in 2017.

Tszyu’s promoter said Horn “grows an extra leg’’ fighting in the Queensland capital and had never lost in front of his Brisbane fans, and Horn wants to continue the State of Origin rivalry by trouncing the young Sydney boxer in the River City.

The fight is set for April 22 but no city or venue has been decided yet with Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Townsville all being considered.

Watch over 50 sports LIVE on Kayo! Stream to your TV, mobile, tablet or computer. Just $25/month, cancel anytime. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Jeff Horn says he will not be taking Tszyu lightly. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

The final decision will come down to which city can offer the most in State Government support through event tourism.

Horn said he would love to beat the flashy Sydneysider in front of a Brisbane audience.

“It all comes down to the best deal that can be made to host the fight,’’ Horn said.

“Nothing would please me more than to beat Tim in Brisbane with all my family and friends ringside.’’

Horn plans to intimidate and overpower Tszyu from the opening bell. He says he is unlikely to charge Tszyu the way he did Michael Zerafa in his last fight in December, but plans to hurt the youngster and gain his respect from Round 1.

“Tim’s a good fighter but he’s not as good as his father (Kostya Tszyu) and he still has a lot to learn,’’ Horn said after agreeing to a deal that will see him receive a 60/40 purse split for a fight scheduled over 10 rounds.

“Tim’s very fast and has an explosive right hand.

“He can be dangerous and I won’t be taking him lightly like I did Zerafa in our first fight.

“He measures you with the left and lets the right go like a sniper. But take that away from him and there’s not much else in Tim’s arsenal.

“It’s hard to measure an opponent the way that Tim does when someone is in your face throwing heavy punches.

“I’ve proven myself in hard fights, coming back when the chips were down. We don’t know yet what will happen to Tim when he is under real and sustained pressure.’’

Tszyu had wanted a 12-round fight but Horn did not believe he had enough time to prepare for the longer journey.

Tszyu did get his demand, though, that Horn drop a rematch clause.

“The rematch doesn’t really worry me,’’ Horn said.

“I’m not planning on losing and hopefully I can fight for a world title again after beating Tim.’’

Jeff Horn prepares for the big fight at Glenn Rushton’s Stretton gym. Picture: Annette Dew

Tszyu’s promoter Matt Rose, in Brisbane to iron out contractual details, said he and his fighter were confident about beating Horn but conceded Brisbane’s former world champion deserved to be favourite.

“Jeff has had a lot more fights than Tim and he’s been a world champion and beaten Manny Pacquiao,’’ Rose said.

“Fighting Jeff in Brisbane would be tough but Tim is improving all the time and in the last year he has really improved out of sight.

“I think Jeff will get a huge shock. We see Jeff as the perfect fight before Tim challenges for a world title.’’

Horn had his first strength training session with former Cowboys and Eels rugby league player Chris Muckert, who has replaced fitness guru Dundee Kim in the Horn camp.

The Brisbane boxer, who will turns 32 on Tuesday, is much more experienced than Tszyu. He had 66 amateur fights and fought at the 2012 London Olympics in 2012, making the quarter-finals. His pro record is 20 wins, two losses and a draw.

Tszyu, 25, had 30 amateur fights, missing out on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics when he lost to fellow Sydney fighter Daniel Lewis. He has won all 15 pro fights.