Jeff Horn’s trainer has revealed a wardrobe blunder ahead of his world-title fight against may have cost him his welterweight belt
Jeff Horn’s trainer has revealed a wardrobe blunder ahead of his world-title fight against Terence Crawford may have cost the Australian boxer his welterweight belt.
Crawford dominated Horn from the opening bell in Saturday’s clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, eventually forcing a ninth-round stoppage to claim the WBO welterweight championship.
Glenn Rushton said although it might ‘sound like excuses’ – his star protégé left his training shoes in Australia and was forced wear in a new pair as he prepared for the bout.
‘Unfortunately he got really bad blisters over here. He made a mistake and only packed one pair of shoes so he was a pair short,’ Rushton said.
‘He forgot his training shoes so his dad went out and bought him a new pair of Nikes here but they just gave him horrendous blisters.
Crawford dominated Horn from the opening bell in Saturday’s clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
Glenn Rushton said that although it might ‘sound like excuses’ – his star protégé left his training shoes in Australia and was forced wear in a new pair as he prepared for the bout
‘Two days before the fight, I was up squeezing huge amounts of liquid out of these blisters on his feet just so he could move because he could hardly move for the last four or five days out here.
‘Just intense pain so it was very frustrating, but it’s one of those things. A mistake on Jeff’s part not to bring that second pair of shoes across – just a mishap.’
Crawford now has titles in three weight divisions, having come up to the 66.68kg limit after unifying the four major light welterweight titles last year.
There was no love lost between the two fighters and their respective management ahead of the bout.
There was no love lost between the two fighters and their respective management ahead of the bout. The pair are seen during a weigh-in
Jeff Horn speaks to the media at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino the day after his loss to Crawford
Horn’s side complained about numerous issues, like the horse hair gloves Crawford wanted to use, to the state of the Top Rank gym provided to them, and even alleging there was foul play afoot at the weigh-in.
Rushton and his trainer counterpart Brian McIntyre also traded insults for weeks before fight night but a threatened violent confrontation never eventuated.
None of it bothered Crawford.
‘I knew where their camp was coming from. They were trying to get under my skin,’ he said.
‘I’m pretty sure they didn’t believe nothing they were saying, they were just coming up with excuse after excuse.
Crawford now has titles in three weight divisions, having come up to the 66.68kg limit after unifying the four major light welterweight titles last year
‘I wish I fought better and followed the game plan a little bit better. It just wasn’t my night,’ Horn said after losing the bout
‘What him and his coaches and my coach had going on, it had nothing to do with me, I stayed focused.’
Horn had a 12-point plan laid out for him by Rushton, but knowing what to do is one thing.
Executing it is another thing entirely, especially against a future hall-of-famer like Crawford, who now has world titles in three weight divisions.
‘I just couldn’t get in my rhythm… I really wanted to press him forward,’ Horn said on Saturday.
Referee Robert Byrd gives a count to Horn after he was knocked down in the ninth round
Crawford is seen landing a left jab on Horn’s chin during the WBO welterweight title fight
‘I was actually even thinking in my head, I’m like, I can just imagine what Jeff Fenech’s saying right now, ”Stay on his chest, stay on his chest”.’
Crawford kept a smart distance and used his superior reach to pick Horn off, leaving referee Robert Byrd with no choice but to call off the fight with 27 seconds to go in round nine as the American barrelled into him.
Byrd had asked Horn to ‘show me something’ at the end of the eighth but the well was dry.
‘I wish I fought better and followed the game plan a little bit better. It just wasn’t my night,’ Horn said.