It doesn’t get easier

Crawford talks big but Horn confident

UNBEATEN American Terence Crawford says Jeff Horn is in for a huge shock if they fight in Las Vegas in April.

“There’s a lot of holes in Jeff Horn’s game and everyone will see that when he gets in the ring with me,” said the slick speedster who has won all 32 of his pro fights and taken world championships at lightweight (61kg) and junior-welterweight (63kg).

After stopping Englishman Gary Corcoran in 11 rounds at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday night, Horn said he was confident (above) of who beating is the mandatory Crawford contender for the Horn’s WBO welterweight (66.7kg) title.

“He’s a great fighter but I feel I’m bigger and stronger than Crawford and that I have the skills to beat him,” Horn said. “Not many people gave me a chance against Manny Pacquiao. I was a big underdog, but I beat him as well, and I can do the same to Crawford.” Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton said Crawford would be surprised by Horn’s size and physical strength when the American fought in the higher weight class. “Crawford has been slapping around lightweights and junior-welterweights but Jeff is much bigger and stronger than those guys,” he said.

“Crawford is up with the big boys – the welterweights – now and those few kilos make a huge difference.”

Crawford watched the telecast of Horn-Corcoran and told ESPN: “Jeff Horn did what he had to do to get the job done tonight but I’m a totally different fighter than Gary Corcoran. I have more power and more speed than Corcoran. When (Horn) steps in to the ring with me, it’s going to be a very different story.

“When I move up to the (66.7kg) division, everyone is going to see a bigger, stronger fighter and a harder puncher than they saw at (63kg).

“I plan to do the same thing at (welterweight) that I did at (lightweight) and (juniorwelterweight) and clean out the division.”

Latest pound-for-pound rankings from website boxrec.com, which assesses fighters in all divisions, rate Crawford the No.4 boxer in the world and Horn No.10. The top fighter on the list is Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez who fights as a 72kg middleweight.