The stakes have been raised for Jeff Horn in the lead-up to his world title fight with Gary Corcoran after it emerged that English former world champion Amir Khan might attend the fight and Anthony Mundine was on the verge of announcing a bout in the new year.
Horn will defend his WBO welterweight title against Corcoran at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre on December 13, the prelude to a likely title defence against undefeated American Terence Crawford next year.
Provided Horn takes care of Corcoran, the fight against Crawford is expected to take place in Las Vegas in April.
Beyond that, big-money fights loom against Khan and Mundine, 42. Khan, whose last fight was a knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez, is on the Gold Coast shooting England?s I?m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. It is understood Khan has been sounded out about attending the Horn-Corcoran fight.
?Khan was a huge distraction earlier this year when he claimed to be fighting Manny Pacquiao in the Middle East and threatened to derail the first Battle of Brisbane and down the track would be a great fight for Jeff,? Horn?s promoter Dean Lonergan said.
?He is a big attraction in the UK, drawing big crowds and with a glass jaw will be another easy payday for the Hornet.?
Mundine will this week announce his plans to fight again next month, most likely at middleweight. The former world champion has been idle since his points loss to Danny Green in February, but shapes as a potential money fight for Horn.
?It is the easiest fight Jeff will have for this sort of money,? Lonergan said. ?All my boxing experts tell me Jeff knocks out Mundine inside five or six rounds. Even at his peak Mundine would have been an easy fight for Jeff.
?Horn has already exceeded everything Mundine has ever done in the ring by beating one of the world?s biggest superstars of boxing in Manny Pacquiao.
?But given it is Jeff?s aim to fight big fights and tough fights, Mundine will be on the backburner assuming Jeff gets past Corcoran. Crawford is pound for pound the best fighter in the world, is far more attractive than Mundine and will go a lot further to building his reputation than beating up a broken old man who never got to the position Jeff is in, even though he desperately wanted to.
?Which is the opposite of what we are expecting from Corcoran. The ?Hell Raiser? is in the prime of his career and with his shirt off is absolutely ripped, testament to the training he has done.?
Lonergan said Horn was still several kilograms over the welterweight limit less than a fortnight out from the Corcoran fight.
?Corcoran will not struggle to make weight,? Lonergan said.
?Jeff is a little heavier than he would like to be. He is training the house down and has to lose around 5kg before weighing in on December 13.?
