Tim Tszyu had labelled Jeff Horn “fake” and “irrelevant” and promised to come in heavier than the former WBO welterweight champion when they meet in a 10-round junior middleweight clash at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, Australia on Wednesday night.
The fight will be broadcast live on Main Event and Kayo pay-per-view in Australia and ESPN+ in the United States.
At the final media conference to promote the fight, the 25-year-old son of boxing legend Kostya Tszyu revealed he was weighing just a pound-and-a-half over the division limit of 154-pounds.
“I think it’s silly, actually,” said the 32-year-old Horn 20-2-1 (13) of Tszyu revealing his weight.
“I don’t know if he is lying but telling me he is only 70.5kg is very light, I will be throwing him around like a rag doll if he’s that weight.
“I will be somewhere around 75kg come fight time. That is a massive size difference.
“Maybe he is trying to give me overconfidence saying what weight he is. It doesn’t make me say, ‘Whoa, he is nearly on weight’. It makes me think how crazy he is to be only 70.5kg when it’s a 69.85kg fight.”
Tszyu laughed off Horn’s statement.
“I will be bigger, don’t be surprised,” responded Tszyu 15-0 (11). “I will be even heavier than 75kg.
“For him to say he will ragdoll me, of course, he’s not going to be patting my head, it’s boxing.
“We’re not ballerinas in there. He is going to be punching me and I will be punching him, it’s quite simple. It’s a war and this is what we are born for.”
Debate is still raging over who will walk into the ring first.
“I do think I probably deserve to walk out second to Tim,” Horn said.
“I’ve won the belts that are sitting in front of him before. I’ve won better belts than what he’s got.”
Tszyu’s manager Matt Rose fired back: “I think the answer to that (who is walking out second) is we’re coming out second. We discussed that the other day. I don’t know what antics Dean’s [Lonergan] up to again.”
Promoter Dean Lonergan chimed in: “Jeff’s coming out second. So long as Jeff comes out second, we’re all good.”
Horn has been vocal in his belief in the lead-up to the bout that Tszyu is only getting the fight because of his famous surname, but the younger man says there is a lack of authenticity in the former Brisbane schoolteacher’s barbs.
“He’s very competitive, he’s a good fighter and he’s achieved a lot,” Tszyu said on Wide World of Sports. “But he’s a bit fake. He says a few things… he’s sometimes not the real guy you see in the media.
“I couldn’t care less (what Horn says). I’m a professional athlete. Growing up with a dad like that, I’m super proud of what he did. He’s taught me to ignore what irrelevant people have to say and this is exactly what it is.
“Why listen to irrelevant people that have got nothing to do with anything?
“He’s trying to smack-talk, trying to put me off my game clearly, but it’s not working. he should remain Jeff Horn, who he is. He’s trying to be someone he not.”
