3 minute read

Jeff Horn is baffled as to why bookies are favouring his opponent Tim Tszyu in their eagerly anticipated boxing bout in Townsville next month.

Jeff Horn is shocked to be the bookies' outsider for his 'war' with self-obsessed opponent Tim Tszyu.

The former WBO welterweight champion fights unbeaten world-ranked super welterweight Tsyzu in a bout rescheduled from April to August 26 at Townsville's Queensland Country Bank Stadium, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Queenslander Horn is baffled by bookies favouring Tszyu, pointing out he has much more big-fight experience than the younger Sydneysider.

"What I've done in the past and for what Tim has done and you compare the two, to say he is definitely going to win and is a hot favourite for this fight, I'm shocked," Horn said.

"I kind of want to turn it around and put some money on myself."

Tszyu said training at home in recent months had made him realise all he wanted to do was win in the ring.

"Nothing in my life matters besides boxing and when you put that in perspective that means training three or four times a day," Tszyu said.

"I made a little gym in my garage and I was able to learn things and I was able to stick in my garage for hours and hours on end just trying to perfect my craft.

"I actually became obsessed and it's a sickness, and I'm going to win."

It will be Tzsyu's first experience of headlining a stadium fight, while Horn has done it twice.

"He's going to be blown away, there's no way you can't be blown away in a stadium fight," Horn said.

"What does he do with that energy? Does he use it or does it sap away from him?

"I've used it every single time and I'm planning on doing that a third time and we will see what Tim can do."

Horn said the postponement of the fight has helped him as he originally thought it was too close to his epic last bout with Michael Zerafa.

"I'm hungry again, before it was probably a little bit too fast after the last fight and I had a few cuts and injuries," Horn said.

"But I've had a bit more time now to recover and to get the body in good shape and I'm ready for this fight.

"It's going to be an exciting fight ... some people like blood for some reason and that's probably definitely going to happen, it's just going to be an absolute war."