BENDIGO, Australia — Jeff Horn’s dream of another title fight appears to be all but over after the former world welterweight champion suffered a shock loss to Michael Zerafa at Bendigo Stadium on Saturday night.
In his first fight since flooring Aussie icon Anthony Mundine in Brisbane last December, Horn looked slow, sluggish and right off the pace of the younger Zerafa.
The Queenslander was knocked down early in the second round, suffering a nasty cut over his left eye, and although he came out more aggressive in the third, he never looked on top.
A flurry of shots to Horn’s face in the ninth round had trainer Glenn Rushton throwing in the towel to give Zerafa the win. The Melburnian now boasts a professional record of 27-3 and remains undefeated on Australian soil.
“I’m a bit shattered. It’s not fun losing, that’s for sure,” Horn said. “I felt really sluggish. I felt heavy. I just felt like crap going into it, but well done to Michael for landing those beautiful shots. You could see I wasn’t myself.”
A big money fight against Japanese middleweight superstar Ryota Murata in Tokyo was on the cards for Horn had he won, instead it’s Zerafa who may end up with the bout.
More to follow…