Jeff Horn ready to give fight of his life against Michael Zerafa
Promoter Dean Lonergan has seen a significant change in Jeff Horn.
Promoter Dean Lonergan has seen a significant change in Jeff Horn. A big enough change to lead Lonergan to believe we will see the very best of the 31-year-old Queenslander when the former world champion attempts to reignite his career on Wednesday night by avenging his last-start loss to Michael Zerafa.
“Massive, massive change,” Lonergan said.
“When Jeff made the decision that he wanted to fight again after the last loss, (trainer) Glenn Rushton and myself sat him down and said you have to make changes.
“We got a nutritionist who is paid for by the team. He has a personal chef. Meals are delivered to Jeff three times a week in pre-packaged containers.
“What that has done is it has allowed him to have the energy on board to go out and do the massive training load he is doing.
“There is real animosity between the camps. Jeff doesn’t like Michael and Michael doesn’t like Jeff. The reason is very simple. Michael thinks Jeff denied him the opportunity to make a lot of money to go and fight (Ryoto) Murata. They had an offer on the table of around $700,000 to fight Murata. Jeff said no, you are not going to do that, we are going to do the rematch because you are the only one who motivates me.”
Let’s dig a little deeper, because Zerafa’s trainer Sam Labruna is happy to oblige. Labruna will choreograph Zerafa’s fight — dubbed “The Reckoning” — from afar on Wednesday night at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. He doesn’t travel because of an ear condition.
However, he has been pulling the strings in the lead-up and the wounds are still fresh from the Horn camp’s decision to enact the rematch clause that cost Zerafa a shot at WBA middleweight champion Murata.
“I was a big fan of Jeff and his team,” Labruna said.
“We rang them and said look, (Michael) can buy a house out of this. It’s a lot of money. You know how hard money is to make in Australian boxing, let the kid make some money.
“They were like yes, we agree. Then they came back and said no. I have zero respect for Jeff Horn and zero respect for Glenn Rushton.”
Both fighters have much to lose. Zerafa has already had to forgo a big payday because of the rematch clause. Defeat would end any hope of reviving a fight against Murata, or any other world champion for that matter.
Horn has the prospect of a big fight against Tim Tszyu down the track, potentially in March or April next year. There’s also the goal of reclaiming a slice of the world title.
Another loss would likely heighten the chances of retirement given the alternative would be a long, slow climb back to the top of the sport.
“This one is right up there with the importance of (Manny) Pacquiao,” Lonergan said.
“Pacquiao was the platform that allowed him to break through. While from a perception point of view Michael Zerafa is not the global superstar that Pacquiao was, a lot of people are saying if you can’t beat Zerafa your career is over.
“I don’t believe that. Zerafa is actually a very good fighter. I think Zerafa is probably one of the best light middleweights/middleweights in the country.
“I think either Jeff Horn or Zerafa would destroy Tim Tszyu if that fight ever did eventuate. What you are seeing is the battle for the domination of Australian boxing,” he said.
“This is big for Jeff Horn. Horn wins this he goes forward to multimillion-dollar paydays. He loses and drops back down to $25,000 paydays — if he wants to continue.”
Horn was beaten well when the pair fought earlier this year in Bendigo. The screams of his family are still fresh as they watched him cop a beating from Zerafa.
Labruna insists the same outcome is in the wind. He and Zerafa haven’t changed a lot because they don’t feel they need to.
They claim they know exactly what is coming from Horn. It didn’t particularly worry them last time and it won’t worry them again next week.
“Jeff has fought the same way the whole time,” Labruna said.
“I have been watching Jeff since he started. Nothing is going to change other than he might be a bit lighter and a bit fitter. Other than that his skills are the same.
“The thing I know about Michael is he gets better with confidence. He has gone up two or three levels since that last fight.
“He knows now he can beat Jeff. He knows he can hurt him. He knows he is bigger than him.”
Lonergan insists Horn will be a different man. “What you are going to see is a real war because I have never seen anyone who hates to lose as much as Jeff Horn, whether it be poker, table tennis or boxing,” Lonergan said.
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