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Jeff Horn admitted Tim Tszyu "made him look silly" in a loss on Wednesday night that may have been the former world champion's boxing farewell.

Jeff Horn has been encouraged to retire while "healthy and wealthy" after the former world champion was humbled in a changing of the guard loss to Tim Tszyu in Townsville on Wednesday.

Three years after toppling Manny Pacquiao at a packed Suncorp Stadium, Horn admitted he felt relief when the official stopped their super-welterweight bout ahead of the ninth round.

Horn didn't officially call time on his career after the loss, but knows it will be difficult for him to convince his wife and two daughters that the best decision is to fight on after his third loss from his last five bouts.

"I'll go home and talk to Jo but I know what she's going to say," he said.

"In the end, I have to ask if I have more in the tank or is that it.

"I probably don't have the hunger of Tim Tszyu. I've been there, done the world title, I was just fighting for the big fights and the mountain was too big for me tonight."

With the son of former world champion Kostya stepping out of his father's shadow, Horn's promoter Dean Lonergan suggested the time was right to move aside.

"I think tonight would be a nice full stop," Lonergan said of the 32-year-old's career.

"The baton I think's been passed.

"We always thought if we can't beat Tim Tszyu should we go on? The answer is probably not.

"My ambitions for Jeff Horn were to go out healthy and wealthy and right now I think he can achieve both those things.

"He's going to have his dad and wife have a serious chat to him and they can look in the mirror and say 'we had a hell of a ride'."

Horn had dropped a weight division and entered the stadium bout full of confidence, but it didn't take long for Tszyu to assume control.

Knocked down in the third and sixth rounds, referee Phil Austin stopped the contest after eight rounds.

The decision came as Horn's corner were contemplating giving him the opening minute of the ninth round to land a miracle blow before throwing in the towel themselves, their conduct again drawing the ire of boxing pundits concerned for the fighter's wellbeing.

"He was very good; he made me look silly out there," Horn said.

"It was a surprise how good he was... I was slightly off on my attacks but that was down to him as well.

"I'm never going to throw in the towel, never going to say I've had enough.

"But it was more of a relief than anything that the referee was saying he'd seen enough. I was like 'alright'."