Australian welterweight Jeff Horn is confident he can topple Errol Spence Jr. - but both fighters are waiting on IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook to make a decision regarding his future in the weight division.
Last month, Brook moved to by two weight divisions and was stopped by middleweight king Gennady Golovkin in five rounds. He suffered a fractured orbital bone in the match and because of that he underwent surgery and needs a few months to fully recover.
The IBF is giving him additional time to made a decision regarding his future. If Brook vacates the belt, then the sanctioning body is likely going to order a fight between Spence and Horn for the vacant belt.
Earlier this month, Horn recorded his 15th career win in Brisbane with a ninth-round stoppage of Germany's Rico Mueller in Friday night's IBF-sanctioned bout. The result moves the 28-year-old Queenslander to No.2 on the IBF rankings, with Spence sitting at No.1.
Southpaw Spence (21-0, 18KOs) hasn't been taken beyond eight rounds by any of his opponents, and is a class above the fighters Horn (16-0, 10KOs) has faced to date and it may pay the former schoolteacher to bide his time and get through a couple more bouts before taking the next step.
"It’s such a relief to come out of a big important fight undamaged. I could be fighting for a world title next. I’ve watched Errol Spence and I think I’ve got what it takes to beat him right now,’’ Horn said.
Horn's trainer, Glenn Rushton, was a touch more emphatic.
"If Errol Spence wants to dance, let's dance," he said. "It's funny, I was listening to a podcast today, one of these American boxing commentators was saying 'hell no! Jeff who? Bring the body bags!' He was carrying on but we will see. He ain't fought no-one as tough as Jeff Horn, I'm telling you."
One US commentator who is firmly on the Horn bandwagon is legendary international caller 'Colonel' Bob Sheridan.
After witnessing Horn's demolition of Mueller, who was stopped for the first time in his career, Sheridan believes he would match up well against Spence.
"He has all the tools that you need to compete at that level, I'm convinced of that," Sheridan told AAP. "He has such a great arsenal. He just has so much ability to do different things. If one thing isn't working he can go back to it. I really believe after this fight tonight he's a cut above the rest, and the type of athlete that would be great for the sport of boxing. I'd like to see him around a long time."