In what is easily the upset for Australian boxing since Garth Wood knocked out Anthony Mundine in 2011, home state hero Michael Zerafa, has knocked out Jeff Horn in round 9 of the Battle of Bendigo in Victoria. The result derails Horn’s changes of a middleweight title shot and a multi million dollar payday in Japan against WBA (Regular) Middleweight champ Ryoto Murata, while also taking his number one spot as Aussie poster boy of boxing.
From the opening bell Horn looked out of place for his first official fight at the 72.5kg or 160lbs middleweight limit. Horn was knocked to the canvas early in the second round but immediately got up and fired back and the fight looked like it was going to be on a similar page to the epic first fight between Daniel Geale and Anthony Mundine for the IBO Middleweight title back in May of 2009.
But in the third round Horn had a head clash with Zerafa and suffered a bad cut above his left eye. Although the referee had the doctor look at it, Horn was allowed to continue. Horn fired back in the fourth and fifth rounds but by the sixth Zerafa was in complete control.
Zerafa used his height and reach advantage to pick his punches and by the ninth round Horn was gassed and a sitting duck. Horn was floored again in the ninth, although Horn returned to his feet but clearly out on them, in a disappointing and disgusting turn of events neither the referee nor Horn’s trainer Glen Ruston stopped the fight. Horn was a lamb to the slaughter, Zerafa gave Horn another 30 seconds of unnecessary punishment and the fight was stopped with Horn hitting the ground again.
Zerafa now takes Horn’s WBA Oceania and WBO Oriental Middleweight titles while adding the IBF Asian-Oriental Middleweight titles to his waist.
In the post fight interview, Zerafa said that he was very happy with his performance and he wants the fight with Murata now instead of Horn. Interviewer Ben Damon also mentioned Tim Tszyu as a potential opponent but Zerafa replied “please, no, call my management”. Showing that he has little to interest in fighting the upcoming second generation star.
In Horn’s post fight interview, said “I felt sluggish and like crap during the fight. Maybe it was something I ate, but I wasn’t at my best tonight”.
Horn does have a rematch clause in his contract, but as commentator Barry Micheal (a former IBF Super-Featherweight champ) said. “ Horn’s not a middleweight, this was a too bigger step for Jeff, he needs to go down to Super-Welterweight”.
This fight also shows real concern for Horn as four of his last five victories have been against old, past thier prime fighters. Mundine, Pacquaio, Bailey and Funeka were all 38 or older when they fought Horn and he was the bigger, younger man. His two loses were against younger stronger men( Crawford and Zerafa) firmly showing a pattern that Horn can only beat over the hill fighters, not prime fighters.
The next move for both men is anyone’s guess but one this is for sure, The Battle of Bendigo has put Aussie boxing on its head.