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Jeff Horn could fight Ryoya Murata after 'tune-up' against Michael Zerafa

Jeff Horn motivated by future title shot

By Anthony Cocks

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JHorn
JHorn

Jeff Horn has an added incentive to defeat Michael Zerafa this weekend with a shot at WBA ‘regular’ middleweight titleholder Ryota Murata in the offing.

 

Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum has confirmed a deal is in place that would see ‘The Hornet’ travel to Japan to face the 2012 Olympic gold medallist on December 23.

 

But first Horn 19-1-1 (13) needs to turn back what promises to be a stiff challenge from Zerafa 26-3 (15) at the Bendigo Stadium in Bendigo, Australia on August 31.

 

“If he wins on the 31st, everything is arranged for him to go to fight Murata,” Arum told the Weekend Australian. “I came to terms with (Horn’s promoter) Dean (Lonergan) and I have talked to (Horn’s trainer) Glenn Rushton. That fight will take place right before Christmas.

 

“If he loses the fight against Zerafa, unfortunately he can’t be used. So hopefully he comes through. Dean says that he is confident that Horn will win the fight and then he gets a shot at the middleweight title.

 

“I think that Horn will do well with Murata. Whether he beats him or not I don’t know. Horn has a real come-at-you style and takes a real good punch. If you take a good punch against Murata, you can perhaps outlast him. It is a really tough fight but I think he has a chance to win.”

 

The 33-year-old Murata has a record of 15-2 with 12 knockouts and has never been stopped. His two losses – to Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and Rob Brant – were reversed in immediate rematches.

 

Horn, 31, lost his WBO welterweight title to gifted American Terence Crawford by ninth round TKO in June last year and has fought just once since, a 96-second blowout of a past his prime Anthony Mundine in November.

 

Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan knows how important it for the Brisbane brawler to deliver in impressive performance against Zerafa.

 

“This fight is unbelievably important for us,” Lonergan said to the Weekend Australian. “Jeff hasn’t had a real test for really a year given the Mundine fight went only one round.

 

“This is a tune-up fight for Jeff and it is a tough fight for Jeff.

 

“Jeff can’t afford to get tripped up here because firstly, it is legacy fight — we would be fighting Murata at middleweight so he would have the chance to win titles in two weight divisions.

 

“Secondly the payday for Jeff is in the seven figures if he goes to Japan. Jeff has a short amount of time left and we have to maximise this.

 

“As his promoter I am worried about the fight (against Zerafa). He was chosen because he is the best in Australia. Tim Tszyu might think he is the best but this bloke will eat him up.

 

“Tim needs to fight like his old man (Kostya Tszyu) used to fight, not fight like he has been trained by his mother.”

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