Horn’s wife can’t travel
FOR the past seven years, Jo Horn has been ringside, riding every punch with her champion boxing husband Jeff.
She was there when ‘The Hornet’ stung Manny Pacquiao to become a world champion at Suncorp Stadium in 2017.
She was there when Horn was bludgeoned by Michael Zerafa in Bendigo, and there again when Horn exacted revenge in their epic return bout in Brisbane last December.
But in the lead-up to Horn’s showdown with Tim Tszyu on Wednesday night, Jo has revealed she will not travel to Townsville, with the mother of two bracing for the nerveracking experience of watching the fight on television.
Jo has been at the coalface for Horn’s last 16 professional fights and has not missed a live bout since he beat Ben Rabeh in Perth in December 2013.
“I don’t know how I will cope not being there to support Jeff,” said Jo, who will stay home to care for their two daughters Isabelle, 2, and 13month-old Charlotte.
“I would much rather be there, I can’t even remember what it was like last time when I didn’t go.
“The last time we took the kids was to Bendigo for the Zerafa fight and things didn’t go well that time. It was really unsettling with young children so we’ve decided to stay at home to let Jeff focus on the fight.
“I will be able to watch it on TV, but the thought of that is not good because you can only see what the cameras show you. When I’m live, my eyes are on him 100 per cent of the time. Sometimes the commentary freaks me out.”
Horn said it would be a strange experience not having his wife by his side as he attempted to inflict the first defeat of Tszyu’s 15-fight professional career.
“This is the first time in a long time that Jo isn’t going to be there,” he said.
“It’s probably going to be less stressful I guess.
“I’ve had her (sitting ringside) a few times. I love having her and the kids around so it’s going to make it hard on me emotionally, not having them there, but to do the business and get the job done, it’s going to be a lot less stress without them being there.”