By Duncan Johnstone
Outstanding welterweight boxing prospect Jeff Horn has been presented with a tough test on the undercard of next month's Fight For Life promotion in Hamilton.
The unbeaten 26-year-old Australian will take on Brazil's Robson Assis, who has also won all of his fights.
New Zealand promoters Duco Events see Horn as hot property and Australian media and boxing personalities agree that he has world title potential.
In just nine fights he has already earned a WBA ranking of No 15 and claimed the WBO's Oriental title to go with his WBA Pan Asian belt.
Keen to take on a tough test and accelerate his progress despite the obvious risks, he has an interesting assignment in front of him in the form of Assis, who is 14-0 with eight knockouts and holds the interim WBO Latino title as well as the Brazilian belt.
It's the second consecutive Brazilian opponent for Horn after he gained a unanimous points decision against Fernando Ferreira da Silva in his last outing in Auckland in November.
Horn, a quarterfinalist at the London Olympics, has been sparring with highly rated Australian light-welterweight Lenny Zappavigna, who fights on the Anthony Mundine undercard in Melbourne next week.
Australia's former world champion Danny Green predicts a bright future for Horn.
"He's a great talent and a good kid. He's from a good family, has a great work ethic and has his head screwed on right," Green said.
"He came to Perth a few months ago and beat a really good fighter named Naoufel Ben Rabeh. I was really impressed."
Horn will feature on a December 6 Fight For Life card that is headlined by New Zealand's world-ranked heavyweight Joseph Parker whose opponent is yet to be confirmed.
In other fights Carlos Spencer makes his pro debut against Monte Betham while celebrity fights include Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna against Australian rugby league strongman Willie Mason, Millie Elder-Holmes against TV actress Frankie Adams and Dave Letele, aka the Brown Buttabean, being lined up against a still to be announced Waikato opponent.
