LACHLAN TAKES BULL BY HORN
T OWNSVILLE’ S L a c h l a n O’Shea has enjoyed a dream start to his professional boxing career after scoring a fourth- round knockout win over Ben Horn at Suncorp Stadium last night.
Referee Paul Tapley called a halt to the fight 38 seconds into the fourth round as southpaw O’Shea knocked Horn’s mouthguard flying with a wild right hand and had him trapped helpless on the ropes.
It was a distastrous start to the night for Ben’s older brother Jeff, who fought Anthony Mundine in the night’s main bout.
Ben had Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton and his corner team of cutman Stephen Edwards and Adam Copland in his corner.
But they couldn’t help him as O’Shea cut loose and Ben lost his equilibrium.
O’Shea had world- rated cruiserweight bruiser Mark Flanagan and his veteran Hawks Boxing Gym coach Dennis Clancy in his corner and while Ben Horn went into the bout with 16 amateur fights behind him his defence had huge gaps for O’Shea’s counters.
Broncos rugby league greats Andrew Gee and Shane Webcke watched in the front row at ringside with the Horn brothers’ sponsor Phil Murphy, the largest private shareholder of the Broncos. O’Shea told the Townsville Bulletin earlier this week he was prepared to shock Australia’s boxing community. “I’m just the lamb to the slaughter, but I’m feeling like a wolf being brought in instead,” he said. “They’ve looked for someone else who’s a bit low class and I feel like I’m more of a high calibre fighter rather than just someone who’ll strap up.”