Anthony Mundine has stepped up the war of words between himself and WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn as the potential for a mega-fight between the pair continues to grow.
Horn struck first last week when he said he would happily fight a "past his best” Mundine for the "easy money”.
"Mundine is 42 now and he should have retired after his last fight against Danny Green. He's past his best and if it can make a huge payday I'd be mad not to fight him before a Crawford bout,” Horn said.
That saw Mundine strike back with a claim that he would end Horn's career, suggesting "it looked like he was on crack” during his win over Gary Corcoran.
"After what I saw against Corcoran, Horn is a B-grade fighter. He looked like a drunken fighter at times, it looked like he was on crack, his feet were everywhere, he was all over the place.”
"I am too strong, too fast, too seasoned. All he's got going for him is his awkward style, but you saw what I did to the most awkward fighter in Australia, Sam Soliman, and I'll destroy Horn the same way.”
It is understood that Horn is not required to fight mandatory challenger Terence Crawford until July, meaning that he could go up a weight class to face Mundine at light-middleweight before returning to welterweight for Crawford.
However, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum wants Horn to face Crawford in Las Vegas on April 21, with the winner of that then likely to face Manny Pacquiao.
Mundine faces Tommy Browne on January 17.
The next step for Horn will depend on the money involved, as Horn's promoter Dean Lonergan has already made it clear that his boxer will not head over to Las Vegas to fight Crawford for small money - while there is talk that a Mundine fight will present at least a $2 million purse.
