Jeff Horn handed another controversial victory Corcoran

Jeff Horn has successfully retained his WBO welterweight championship after sealing a technical knockout in the 11th round over Gary Corcoran in Brisbane on Wednesday night.

Fighting for the first time since his contentious win over Manny Pacquiao in July, it was a lot closer than the 29-year-old would have liked his first world title defence to be. 

Corcoran’s corner threw in the towel due to a nasty cut near his battered left eye.

Horn was the heavy favourite with bookmakers and started the stronger but Corcoran, who had lost just one of his 18 career fights, proved to be no pushover.

Jeff Horn has successfully retained his welterweight championship after sealing a technical knockout in the 11th round over Gary Corcoran in Brisbane on Wednesday night 

Fighting for the first time since his contentious win over Manny Pacquiao in July, it was a lot closer than the 29-year-old would have liked his first world title defence to be

Fighting for the first time since his contentious win over Manny Pacquiao in July, it was a lot closer than the 29-year-old would have liked his first world title defence to be

Horn was the heavy favourite with bookmakers and started the stronger but Corcoran, who had lost just one of his 18 career fights, proved to be no pushover

Horn was the heavy favourite with bookmakers and started the stronger but Corcoran, who had lost just one of his 18 career fights, proved to be no pushover

The London-based Irish Traveller wanted to bring the fight in close and that’s what he did throughout the early rounds, many of which were difficult to call.

Horn looked short of his usual energy – perhaps a product of his dramatic weight loss of 4kg in 24 hours to come under the welterweight limit.

But Corcoran tired quicker and eventually lost his momentum. 

He was also warned twice by referee Benjy Esteves Jnr for hitting Horn in the back of the head and landed a flush right hand after the bell to end the seventh round – much to the anger of the near-capacity crowd at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition centre.

The champion opened the 10th round with a flurry of punches that sent Corcoran through the ropes, before the referee inspected his eye at the start of the next round to ensure he was right to continue.

Corcoran's corner threw in the towel due to a nasty cut near his battered left eye

Corcoran’s corner threw in the towel due to a nasty cut near his battered left eye

The London-based Irish Traveller (left) wanted to bring the fight in close and that's what he did throughout the early rounds, many of which were difficult to call 

The London-based Irish Traveller (left) wanted to bring the fight in close and that’s what he did throughout the early rounds, many of which were difficult to call 

Little more than a minute later, it was all over.

‘Too many cuts. Fair play to Jeff, he is a good fighter,’ Corcoran said.

‘I’ll be back to learn from it. I’ll come again.’ 

Horn said his felt like his timing was ‘a bit off’. 

‘I felt my timing was a bit off but I got him in the end,’ Horn said.

‘The whole fight I felt I was a little bit off tonight.’

Corcoran gave Horn a tough time early on but the former teacher found his stride gradually

Corcoran gave Horn a tough time early on but the former teacher found his stride gradually

The result puts Horn in line for some big-money blockbusters against some of boxing’s biggest names in 2018.

His next opponent is likely to be arguably the world’s finest pound-for-pound fighter, Terence Crawford, in Las Vegas.

A rematch against Pacquiao is a possibility if Horn can pull off another against-the-odds win over the unbeaten American.



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