'If it gets dirty it gets dirty': Tim Tszyu laughs off Jeff Horn tactics
Jeff Horn’s suggestion he will “ragdoll” Tim Tszyu in their super welterweight battle in Townsville has been shrugged off by the younger fighter, who says he is happy to “bang it out” and win ugly on Wednesday.
Former WBO welterweight champion Horn meets unbeaten worldranked super welterweight Tsyzu at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, with Tszyu to start favourite against the man who upset Manny Pacquiao three years ago.
Horn, now 32, will trade on that stadium experience and his awkward, bustling style against the son of Australian boxing great Kostya.
Having dropped a division for the super welterweight fight, Horn was surprised to hear Tszyu claim he was already within 500g of the 70kg mark 24 hours out from Tuesday’s weigh-in.
The Brisbane boxer expects to blow out to 75kg by fight night and insinuated Tszyu, unbeaten in 15 fights, may have stripped too soon.
“I think it’s silly; I don’t know if he’s lying, but telling me he’s only 70.5kg ... I’ll be throwing him around like a ragdoll if he’s that light,” Horn said. “It’s a massive size difference, I can’t believe him ... how crazy to [already] be 70.5 for a 69.85 fight.”
The 25-year-old laughed off the suggestion he would be giving away a size difference though, claiming he will be able to stack it back on with the help of a Vietnamese feast after weigh in.
“I’ll be even heavier [than Horn], let’s say that,” he said. “Ragdoll, what’s that mean? If he wants to play those games we will play those games as well, it’s quite simple.
“It’s a fight; we’re not ballerinas in there. He’s going to be punching me, I’m going to be punching him of course, he’s not going to be patting my head. Sometimes you want to get into a war ... if it gets dirty it gets dirty, I can bang it out.”
There have been plenty of sideshows ahead of the bout, with
Monday’s press conference beginning with another faux argument about who should walk out second. It is likely Horn will get the honour despite Tszyu being the current Australian belt holder.
Tszyu could retire Horn with victory while Jeff Fenech has tipped a knockout victory for the elder statesman. But there remains plenty of respect between the two boxers.
“I don’t want to ever say I’m going to knock a guy out,” Horn said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for his family, his dad’s an absolute legend ... it’s going to be very tough fight and an even tougher fight for Tim Tszyu.”