Promoter Bob Arum, quite pleased, offered to give loser Jeff Horn a new contract after the gutsy Australian dropped his WBO welterweight crown against mighty American Terence Crawford.
Arum enjoyed Horn’s strong and gutsy stand, before the 30-year-old former school teacher lost via a ninth-round stoppage in Las Vegas last weekend.
What would come as a post-fight stunner was the subsequent hot clamor for a rematch from Horn.
Yeah, cried Horn, he would definitely grab a rematch against the unbeaten Crawford (33-0-24 KOs).
Horn also claimed he did not get hurt (against Crawford), thus promising to rebuild, fight on harder.
He would report to the post-fight press conference wearing a total of 25 stitches round his eyes.
Actually, there was neither hint nor signal from Arum that he was interested in a Horn-Crawford rematch.
For his part, Crawford readily told Arum he would like to face all the big guns in the welterweight division.
Going back, it’s easy to assume that the source of Horn’s strange stimulation was his trainer, the self-made millionaire Glenn Rushton.
For starters, Rushton had claimed the ninth-round stop to WBO welterweight championship in Las Vegas last Sunday was done too hastily by veteran international referee Robert Byrd.
Rushton also said Horn had been more hurt in his fight against Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane last July.
Rushton insisted they were all set for a big push, hoping to score a knockout in the final two rounds, against Crawford.
Rushton also claimed there would be great hometown backing for Horn to fight Crawford in Australia.
Crawford has not made any comment, while Arum said the brilliant superstar from Omaha, Nebraska, would return to action in October.
There was no mention of Australia or Horn in that scheduled return of Crawford.
Meanwhile, Rushton yesterday said Horn would be delighted to fight Manny Pacquiao again after the Filipino superhero’s title challenge against Lucas Matthysse on July 15.