Horn-Tszyu showdown shut down
THE highly anticipated Jeff Horn-Tim Tszyu boxing showdown has been scrapped after a wild backflip from promoters on Tuesday.
The event's promoters announced on Tuesday morning the Townsville brawl has officially been postponed after officials consulted with the advice of medical experts to scrap the planned April 22 fight in response to the coronavirus spread.
Co-promoters D and L Events and No Limit Boxing had announced just 24 hours earlier that the fight would proceed as scheduled as tickets went on sale on Monday.
However, it has since been confirmed that former WBO welterweight champion Horn and world rated junior middleweight Tszyu will now have to find a later date for their Queensland Country Bank Stadium fight.
#HornTszyu has now been officially postponed. A new date will be announced as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/3H7gto1x50
— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) March 16, 2020
The North Queensland Cowboys' upgraded stadium is still expected to be the venue when the fight eventually is given the all clear to continue.
However, it is unclear if a predicted world title shot will still be waiting for whichever of the boxers emerges with a victory in Townsville.
Aussie world champion Andrew Moloney's title fight on April 17 has also reportedly been postponed, while former heavyweight world champion Lucas Browne's fight on March 28 has also been pushed back.
Some have suggested it is too soon in Tszyu's career for him to fight the vastly more experienced Horn, but the unbeaten 25-year-old says he is ready for a war. "I'm a warrior," Tszyu said.
"We're boxers, we have to be ready for a war. You have got to give everything. You've got to be ready to die in the ring. I don't want to give predictions, but I'm coming to fight, I'm coming to win." The 32-year-old Horn, who has moved down from middleweight, says his superior experience will give him the advantage next month.
"He'll be fighting out of his skin and so will I, so it's going to be a cracking fight.
"I've got the experience in there to take away Tim's tools and to get this victory. I don't know how that's going to happen, whether it's going to be a stoppage or not. We're always looking for a knockout, but a points victory is a victory."
