Jeff Horn far from impressed by trash talking Tim Tszyu
Jeff ‘the fighting schoolteacher’ Horn has handed down Tim Tszyu’s report card and he’s given the brash boxer barely a pass mark.
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Jeff Horn has given Tim Tszyu an uppercut in the lead-up to his fight against Dennis Hogan by questioning his ability to emulate the legendary deeds of father Kostya and win a world title.
Tszyu is within striking distance of a world-title bid and the No. 1-ranked WBO contender can inch closer to his shot at global glory if he disposes of Hogan in their super welterweight showdown in Newcastle on Wednesday week.
Tszyu (17-0, 13KO) is plotting his 18th consecutive professional victory, seven months after he shocked former world champion Horn in a clinical carve-up that suggested the 26-year-old was ready to take on the best in the world.
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But as Tszyu attempts to hammer Hogan into a potentially career-ending third consecutive defeat, Horn has come out swinging, admitting he is not convinced the Sydney slugger can join his dad in the world-title club.
‘The Hornet’ is well qualified to deliver that appraisal following his epic boilover of Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in 2017 which stunned the boxing world.
“I don’t feel I took on Tim at my best so I can’t categorise Tim in that world-class level yet,” Horn said.
“I know that’s a harsh assessment but it’s the honest truth.
“I really don’t know how good he is and if he can win a world title.
“At my best, I believe I am a better fighter than Tim.
“I didn’t expect what was going to happen with me, Tim definitely deserved to win our fight (last August in Townsville), I wasn’t anywhere near my best and Tim really tore me to pieces
“Tim deserved the victory, no doubt, but he has a way to go to win a world title.”
Tszyu is the raging $1.14 favourite to overcome Hogan (28-3-1, 7KO), who is desperate to resurrect his career after 820 days without a victory following consecutive world-title losses to Jaime Munguia and Jermall Charlo.
As a former stablemate of Hogan and a victim of Tszyu’s searing right hand, Horn will be a keen observer when the duo go hammer-and-tongs in the steel city. He believes the ‘Hurricane’ can whip up a boilover.
“It is going to be a sensational fight,” Horn said.
“I’ll be right behind Dennis. He is a mate of mine and I honestly believe the best version of Dennis Hogan can win, but Tim is a sharpshooter.
“I saw that ridiculous video from Tim saying he wants to end Dennis’ career and take his soul. It was pretty frustrating for me to watch. He has clearly got a lot of confidence from beating me but I still think Tim has a lot to prove.
“I found Tim very good at controlling the gap and he had a nice solid jab. He does the basics really well, so he doesn’t make many mistakes.
“Dennis has fought at the highest levels. He has fought world-class opponents. Charlo was an absolute monster and he is a much better fighter than Tim Tszyu, so Dennis won’t have anything to fear.
“Dennis is a real workhorse. He has an awkward style and he can take a punch, so if he stays busy and keeps coming at Tim, he might be able to upset him.
“Tim will be hunting him, but it’s going to be one of the toughest challenges of his career.”
‘WHAT’S WITH THAT STACHE?’: ZERAFA’S HILARIOUS TSZYU SLEDGE
Michael Zerafa believed Tim Tszyu may be backed into a corner and forced to fight him next as the super-welterweight world title picture becomes murky.
Tszyu was due to face champion WBO champion Patrick Teixeira, but the Brazilian lost to Argentina’s Brian Castano last month.
Since then it has emerged that Castano, who is signed to the powerful Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) company run by Al Haymon – mentor of Floyd Mayweather – is in talks to unify the division against WBC, WBA and IBF champion Jermell Charlo, who is also with PBC.
That could leave Tszyu (17-0, 13KO) waiting many months for a shot at the crown, and his bitter local rival is prepared to jump in after Tszyu fights Dennis Hogan in Newcastle on March 31.
“The fight definitely will happen, you can’t run forever,” Zerafa said.
“There’s a lot of talk, but the most impressive thing about Tszyu is his moustache, what’s happening with that stache? He couldn’t grow a proper one, he can’t grow a beard but he’s grown a stache in a day.
“He’s been to Ashley and Martin I think. Once I whip him I’ll teach him how to tame it.
“I don’t hate him, I just dislike the way he goes about his boxing.
“If my dad was Mike Tyson everyone would be going crazy, his dad is a legend of the sport and if he didn’t have that last name I truly believe he wouldn’t be getting these opportunities.
“In saying that, he’s doing well. Hogan is no slouch, he’s been in there with [Jaime] Munguia, [Jermall] Charlo, so Tszyu’s got his hands full.
“I think Tszyu wins the fight, there’s a lot of talk about him and a world title but I think he lost that opportunity when Teixeira lost against Castano.
“So all this about a world title and ‘Zerafa you’re a bum, you’ve got no chance’, well there is no world title, what are they talking about?
“Castano is not going to want to fight Tszyu, he wants to fight guys like Charlo for the bigger money, that’s what he’s been offered.”
Zerafa (28-4, 17KO) revealed he is in negotiations to fight Japan’s WBA middleweight champion Ryota Murata (16-2, 13KO).
“I’m in negotiations with Murata for a world title fight, obviously I was in negotiations and the contracts were there when I beat Jeff Horn in the first fight, and then in the rematch things went sour, but now things are back and forth trying to seal the deal with Murata,” Zerafa said.
But if those talks fall through, Zerafa is willing to step down a weight class to make the biggest grudge fight in Australia.
“They want to make me the big villain with the whole Dusty Martin story, I was asked would I fight him and I said I’d do it for charity and it’s been a whole drama, and I’m happy to do that because I’m not in this sport to make friends,” Zerafa said.
“I’m not lonely, the people close to me know who I am. No one gets me on Channel 9 showing that I help the elderly, which I do every week, helping kids with disabilities, when we were in COVID I was giving money to families and charities out of my own pocket, nobody covers that.
“Everyone just says ‘Zerafa’s a sook’, he’s this, he’s that.
“I just want to put Aussie boxing back on the map. Anthony Mundine carried the sport for many years and he said to me; ‘Keep going with it’.
“Tszyu’s camp said ‘We offered him a fight and he declined’ but that’s not it, he made me a disrespectful offer, they offered me $60,000 when he’s offering retired fighters triple that amount, it’s a fight he doesn’t want.
“I was willing to take it but my team said ‘No, don’t let him disrespect you, we don’t need him’.
“He’s already said off camera that I’m a risk to him.
“If I’m so easy and not world class in his mind, why won’t he fight me and shut me up? Because he knows.
“When he was still drinking warm milk before bedtime I was fighting Peter Quillin in America at just 22.”
Zerafa stopped Mundine in the first round of their fight last weekend.
“It was a legacy fight for me, it was more than boxing and the sport,” Zerafa said.
“It ticks off an achievement, I was 13 years old and I reached out to Mundine on MySpace, I said it would be an absolute dream to fight him and retire him, and he replied: ‘If you’re looking to be beat, I’m The Man to meet’.
“And 15 years later I got the opportunity.”
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