IT seems ludicrous to many that Jeff Horn is in talks to fight Anthony Mundine.
Why diminish his achievement of defeating an all-time great in Manny Pacquiao, and push back a major Las Vegas showdown with Terence Crawford, to take on someone who is viewed as a washed up loud mouth?
The answer is money and politics.
Horn is not only tough and talented, but he is smart.
And the smartest play for him right now is to take the $2 million on offer to fight Mundine.
Because Crawford is a huge risk. The guy is possibly the best boxer on the planet right now, having amassed a 32-0 (23KO) record and unifying the super-lightweight division by winning all four major belts.
Horn could earn roughly the same amount fighting Crawford, but the odds against him are stacked significantly higher than a fight against Mundine.
And if Horn loses to Crawford, he forever waves goodbye to the $2 million on offer to fight Mundine because he won?t be the drawcard he is now.
That?s the money side, now here is the politics.
Horn?s co-promoter, Top Rank, also has Crawford and Manny Pacquiao on their books.
And while Horn is the WBO World welterweight champion, he does not have the same international draw as either of those two.
Pacquiao remains Top Rank?s best pay-per-view star in the welterweight division, while Crawford has the best potential to take his mantle, if he gets a chance to fight Pacquiao and defeat him.
For that to happen, Crawford must take Horn?s belt and set up a title showdown against Pacquiao, who returns to the ring in April, likely against Mike Alvarado in a ?tune-up fight? he should easily win.
Sentimentality aside, it is in Top Rank?s best financial interest to get a Crawford-Pacquiao bout later this year, and allow the American to take the fading Filipino legend down and solidify his reputation as the sport?s new big star.
While Horn has already achieved the feat of defeating Pacquiao, he does not have the pay-per-view earning potential of Crawford. His distance from the United States and non-controversial personality count against him.
Pacquiao is also adamant he will not return to Australia for a rematch, and Top Rank boss Bob Arum can?t convince him otherwise despite the original contract stipulating it must be held in Brisbane.
If Horn loses to Crawford, that is another headache eliminated.
Horn will fancy himself against Crawford, but while Arum is pressuring the Australian to take that fight in Las Vegas in April, he technically has until July to defend his belt against the mandatory challenger.
There will be inevitable threats of having to vacate his title or bigger fights in future withdrawn, making Horn?s decision difficult.
But if he chooses to walk to the beat of his own drum, Horn can take the easier route against Mundine, put the $2 million into his bank account, and still have access to Crawford and others in the star-studded welterweight division.
That doesn?t work for the guys eating the big lunches, but it works for the guy eating the big punches.
