The mind games have well and truly begun ahead of next Friday’s bout between Jeff Horn and Anthony Mundine, with Horn accusing his rival of ruining his last free weekend before the fight.
Horn flew from Brisbane to Sydney and back for a 10-minute press conference on Saturday, making no secret of the fact he didn’t want to be there.
Horn claimed it was forced upon him by Mundine’s management to make appearances in different cities as part of the contract of the fight, in the latest tit-for-tat, out-of-ring stoush between the two.
Mundine was infuriated earlier this month when it was revealed Horn’s camp had the right to have the former NRL player tested for drugs up to five times before the bout.
“I never travel this close to a fight so I’m not really that happy being here this close,” Horn told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.
“This is the last weekend before the fight. All I want to do is chill this weekend and not do much. The last thing I wanted to do is come to Sydney in the morning.
“That’s what they intended. They knew I don’t travel this close and they’re trying to upset me. And it has a bit.”
After wrapping up sparring on Thursday, Horn said he usually spent the final weekend before fights relaxing with his wife and baby daughter Isabelle.
But he said more than just the trip had him on edge with Mundine, admitting he was more frustrated for this fight than any other given the 43-year-old’s jibes about his former status as WBO welterweight champion.
“Mundine has frustrated me with his comments, calling me a fraud and saying I’ve only really had one decent win against Manny Pacquiao,” Horn said.
“And he said I only maybe just won that – and maybe didn’t even win it.
“He’s frustrated me with his comments and I’ll let him know about that next Friday night.”
Horn gnawed away on chocolate during the visit, highlighting the fact he’d have no trouble meeting the 71kg weight limit for Friday as Mundine faces a tougher battle.
But it’s the 13-year age gap and not the battle to make weight Horn said would be more telling.
“I will be able to get him in the later rounds, with fitness I will be able to break him down,” the 30-year-old said.
“With that age as well and with my aggressive style I should be able to break him down.”