Terence Crawford?s long-time trainer is monitoring each and every word that emanates from the Jeff Horn camp, as he looks to ensure the undefeated challenger is armed with morsels of motivation heading into their world title bout in April.
Brian McIntrye, who has been by Crawford?s side for his entire professional career, has already used social media to issue a warning to the Horn camp ahead of their WBO welterweight title fight at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York.
Asked about a pair of tweets which he wrote last month, McIntyre said: ?I just responded. That tweet is something that lets them know I have my eye on them over here, on what they say. ?If they want to get slick with their words, if they?re talking shit, I just let them know that ?hey, I have my eyes on you guys?.
?They are coming to our home turf. Fighters are one thing but when you start talking shit, when you start talking like you?re really tough, you?re going to get dealt with while you are over here.
?Terence is now at his best ? period. His boxing IQ is through the roof. Horn is set on one thing ? go, go, go, go, try to rough you up.
?That is his whole fight style. Terence can do it all. His boxing IQ is going to play a big part in this fight.?
Having unified the junior welterweight division last year, 30-year-old Crawford is moving up in weight to take on Horn. He does so with a reputation as one of the elite fighters in the world, albeit with a chip on his shoulder over a perceived snub from the boxing cognoscenti.
Despite becoming the first man in more than a decade to unify the junior welterweight division, Crawford was overlooked for fighter of the year awards in favour of Ukrainian sensation Vasily Lomachenko.
?I believe strongly in my heart ? I have not talked to him in a couple of days ? he definitely has a chip on his shoulder because I do,? McIntyre said.
?I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. It would have been nice if he had of won it and I had won (trainer of the year).
?He did something that nobody had done in years and I am mad about (the snub). I know if I am mad about it he is going to be mad about it.
?He doesn?t have anything to prove but I think he is going to come out with a chip on his shoulder and he is going to prove to the world that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
?The kid made history and he made history in a good fashion ? two knockouts in one year, undefeated, undisputed champion. He put all the belts on the line. You don?t see fighters doing it this way.
?He believed in himself but the writers didn?t appreciate that.?
Horn was one of the fighters of 2017 as well, in large part thanks to his shock win over Philippine legend Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in July. That performance stunned the boxing world but the sense is that a win over Crawford would be even more significant. While Pacquiao was widely viewed as beyond his best when he travelled to Brisbane to put his belt on the line, Crawford is in the prime of his career.
Having won all 32 of his fights as a professional ? 23 of them by knockout ? his last loss was as an amateur nearly a decade ago. He is widely touted as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport ? the respected The Ring magazine has him at No 2 behind middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
If Horn has any advantage, it is in the size department. While Crawford will move up in weight to fight at welterweight, Horn faces an ongoing battle to shave off enough weight to make the 147-pound (66.68kg) limit.
It means he should carry a significant advantage in size into the Crawford fight given he is renowned for piling up upwards of 5kg in the 24 hours between the weigh-in and the fight itself. McIntyre played down the size difference as a factor while at the same time insisting Crawford would not underestimate the challenge that awaits.
?Terence has been sparring and fighting bigger guys his whole career,? McIntyre said.
?What Jeff brings to the table is going to be interesting but Terence is going to be mentally and physically ready. They say he (Horn) walks around at 175 (pounds).
?That?s fine ? he can?t come into the ring at 175. That?s going to slow him down a little bit. He is already slow ? he?s not that fast.
?In ways it may be beneficial to Terence. If he tries to muscle Terence out, that is just energy he may need in the later rounds.
?I am excited. I am excited to see the match-up between him and Terence. Terence has always been the kind of fighter who takes on all challenges. I have watched Horn fight and he fights determined. It?s going to be exciting.
?(Horn) is just a determined fighter and I like fighters like that. He kind of tricks you a little bit with his feet.
?I like a determined fighter because if he is going to bring the fight to Terence, then it is going to make it better for fireworks.
?Everything can change in one punch and Horn is a strong fighter. He can get lucky.?
