Jeff Horn (R) tries to keep his balance after a punch from Terence Crawford in the eighth round of their WBO welterweight title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Crawford won by TKO in the ninth round. Steve Marcus/Getty Images/AFP
Instead of sympathy, Australian boxer Jeff Horn got apathy after losing his WBO featherweight title big time to American Terence Crawford in Las Vegas on Sunday.
“You are nothing outside Australia you c—,” said a detractor on Instagram. “Try to win at least one round next time. What a fraud,” said another. “Horn exposed as a paper champion…” posted a Facebook follower.
But social media insults are the least of Horn’s worries after his real life “Rocky” story ended abruptly following a highly controversial victory over Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao in July last year at home in Brisbane.
Now more than anything else, he is left to contemplate on his future.
With a brave front, Horn said his loss to a far more superior fighter would not be a major hindrance to his career.
“I’m not hurt at all, these things happen. It’s my first loss as a professional, I can keep going, I can rebuild,” Horn said.
His record now stands at 18 wins (12 by knockout), one draw and a loss.
Promoter Bob Arum has said he remains invested in Horn and would look to re-sign him after his three-fight deal.
But the Australian’s manager has reportedly said he wanted to explore the market and see what options are out there.
Before his brutal ninth round TKO victory, Crawford broke Horn down in the early rounds and increasingly picked him apart.
Crawford remains undefeated in his 33 professional fights, including 24 wins by knockout.
He becomes just the sixth fighter in history to win world titles at lightweight, light welterweight and welterweight.
Crawford said he now wanted to fight the other champions at welterweight, and called on promoter Arum to “make it happen.”
After joining the Golden State Warriors in their victory parade on Tuesday in Oakland, California, Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee invited the NBA champions to the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
The Bay Area legislators extended the invitation days after President Trump said the NBA Finals winner would not be welcomed to the White House.
Last week, LeBron James of the runner-up Cleveland Cavaliers, said neither team would accept an offer to go to the White House, a statement backed up by the Warriors’ Stephen Curry.
Before going to Quebec for the G-7 trade meeting and on to Singapore last weekend for his denuclearization summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, Trump said that “we’re not going to invite either team.”