By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
WBA #3 middleweight Jeff Horn (19-1-1, 13 KOs) is in line to challenge for the WBA title against champion Ryota Murata (15-2, 12 KOs) according to Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum in December but first must defeat fellow Australian Michael Zerafa (26-3, 15 KOs) in Bendigo next Saturday.
“If he wins on the 31st, everything is arranged for him to go to fight Murata,” Arum told The Weekend Australian from The Bahamas. “I came to terms with Dean Lonergan and I have talked to (Horn’s trainer) Glenn Rushton. That fight will take place right before Christmas. If he loses the fight against Zerafa, unfortunately, he can’t be used. So hopefully he comes through. Dean says that he is confident that Horn will win the fight and then he gets a shot at the middleweight title.”
What !!??!! What !!??!! Middleweight !? What ??
Best for Horn could have been Munguia I think. Murata will KO him anyway, but is his best chance at that weight, because the others would murder him. I can imagine the result of Golovkin or Canelo vs. Horn
Mike, I disagree. I think both Murata and Munguia can knock Horn out.
Jonathan, I am not saying he would able to defeat Munguia, but rather could be more competitive and yes, I believe Horn could win. Against Murata I see no chance at all to be honest
Horn had options with Top Rank. Arum went over to New Zealand years ago, when Horn was fighting over there, and talked about helping Horn’s career. I don’t see Horn getting a decision win over in Japan, unless he dominates the fight. (and Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam did get a decision over Murata in Japan in their 1st fight). Horn has only dominated fights that went the distance 3 times. That was back in 2014 and 2015. He dominated a couple of 10 round fights and one 12 round fight. I think the best fighter he defeated ‘clearly’ in a 10 round distance fight was Ahmed El Mousaoui, almost 4 years ago. Rico Mueller from Germany went 9 with Horn, and is considered halfway decent, and is still rated #10 by the IBF at 147. But if Horn was ‘Regular’ WBA 160 lbs champion before 2019, don’t be surprised if you hear about Horn vs Adames at a 155 lbs catchweight, or Horn vs Crawford 2 at a 70 KG catchweight (which is just a tad over 154). Horn can still make money for some fights into 2020. Fighting Canelo for Horn is sure loss. Not sure Horn beats Crawford in New Zealand or Japan at 70 KG in 2020. He might not get stopped.
Maybe Horn will beat Murata and they will have a rematch where Murata brutally knocks out Horn.
At least Horn has people trying to help his career make him $. He was an Olympian, though people say it is a lot easier for Australian boxers to make it to the Olympics than guys from the UK. But still, Murata got Gold in the Olympics at 165, and he doesn’t appear to be that much more skilled than Horn. Murata did show he could swarm all over a guy, once he hurt him, and get the stoppage in his last fight. Horn went to the Olympics at 141 and did not get top 4. Still, everyone says he’d have to rematch Pacquiao and Crawford to prove something. All he has to do is win against Zerafa and Murata, and he’ll make big money at 31. He will get paid well against Murata anyway.
I don’t think Horn will get a lot of money by fighting Murata in Japan, but if the fight take place in Australia, yes, and maybe will have to be in the Melbourne Cricket Ground