Horn going after Vargas but wants to fight Mundine first as warm-up

Brisbane boxer Jeff Horn wants to go after WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas but says he would love to fight Anthony Mundine first as a warm-up bout.

The Courier Mail reports that Horn believes he is next line for a title shot. Horn’s aspiration for a world title fight has gotten a major boost following Vargas’ falling plan of facing IBF champion Kell Brook of England in a unification bout. Brook is planning to move up in weight to face Gennady Golovkin, the middleweight king, on September 9.

Brooks said that this is the time and the moment that he has been waiting for. “The number one pound for pound fighter in the world is coming to the UK,” he said.

Horn, for now, wants to face Mundine first in a warm-up bout before he takes on Vargas. “I think there would be a huge interest and we could fight at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre where he fought Daniel Geale,”he said.

The Brisbane boxer also said that he sparred with Mundine in Brisbane three years ago as the latter was preparing for his fight with Shane Mosley.

“I landed a few good ones on him,” said Horn. “But I’m much more advanced now and I’d love to show him how much.”

Horn said that as Mundine’s rematch with Danny Green gains ground, he would be a good lead-up for Mundine as Green will be fighting Aussie Kane Watts next month.

The paper noted that Horn’s last start was against former world champ Randall Bailey, whom he demolished in Brisbane.

Horn is the No. 4 contender for the WBO welterweight belt and above him are Filipino Manny Pacquiao and Americans Tim Bradley and Errol Spence Jr. All three contenders have other commitments, making Horn the likely candidate to face Vargas next for the WBO title.