WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn and his IBF counterpart Errol Spence Junior have continued their sparring on social media as the Australian awaits a response from Manny Pacquiao over their potential rematch.
Horn is expected to return to training next week, having taken a break following his stunning upset win over Filipino legend Pacquiao four weeks ago. The Horn camp is still waiting to hear whether Pacquiao will enact the rematch clause in his contract, with a tentative date set for the pair to meet again in November in Australia.
In the meantime, Horn and Spence have traded barbs from afar as both eye off unifying the welterweight world titles.
Asked by fire.tv what message he would have for Horn if the Australian was standing in front of him, Spence replied: ?Let?s fight. He has a belt, I have a belt. Let?s unify.?
Horn wasted no time responding with a message of his won on social media.
?Let?s fight, let?s unify, (there) will be a man down,? Horn wrote.
Horn told The Australian yesterday he believed he had the style to beat the undefeated Spence Junior, a man with whom he shares much in common.
Both were eliminated in the quarter-finals at the London Olympics and both remain undefeated. Spence has won 19 of his 22 fights by knockout, including the past eight.
His latest, an 11th round stoppage of England?s Kell Brook, also secured the IBF title for the 27-year-old.
?I think I can beat him that is for sure,? Horn said. ?Him and Keith Thurman are around about the same level. He is probably a harder puncher Errol Spence. But I believe I can beat those guys and I do want to unify the division one day.
?Putting that out there is making it known that eventually I do want to unify.?
Horn has kept a relatively low profile since the whirlwind few days after he won the world title with his stunning defeat of Pacquiao. He flew to America to attend the ESPY awards and then spent a few more days on holidays with his wife Jo.
However, the time to get back down to work is approaching fast as Horn prepares for the first defence of his world title.
Pacquiao appears the most likely opponent although that will be contingent on the former champion wanting to keep going with his stellar career. His trainer Freddie Roach has been among those to question whether Pacquiao can continue to devote enough energy to boxing while he is also a politician.
