Horn v Corcoran: Preview and Tips

The bout has been labelled the Battle of Brisbane 2 and on Wednesday the 13^th of December, the biggest name in Australian boxing today, Jeff “The Hornet” Horn will take on English slugger, Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran. The fight is set to take place in the Convention & Exhibition Centre in Brisbane on the back of the momentum created following Horn’s win over Pacquiao. The Wolf breaks down the fight and focuses on the two men involved along with some keys to victory and possible future bouts for The Hornet.

Jeff ‘The Hornet’ Horn

Jeff Horn is currently the biggest name in Australian boxing. With his gigantic win over Pacquiao back in July, the Brisbane native will be looking to continue his wave of momentum and extend his perfect professional record of 17-0-1. Horn an orthodox fighter applies constant pressure to his opponents looking to break them before finishing them off in the later rounds. This is exactly what he did in his bouts with Bailey and Funeka, Jeff was able to avoid getting hit for the most part and land while pushing his opponent backwards. This style generally provides very entertaining fights but can often cause the fighter to land himself in hot water.

The fight that put The Hornet on the map though was his July bout with Pacquiao. Horn started that fight off strong winning 4 of the first 5 rounds and really took the fight to the Filipino. You often see him placing his head right under his opponent’s chin. Horn uses this effectively to avoid being hit with big shots and implement the strength advantage that he has over most of his opponents. As the Pacquiao fight wore on, the Brisbane native did start to tire and the power was depleted from his punches. It’s in this state that Horn is at his most vulnerable and Corcoran will be looking to survive the early onslaught before taking it to him in the later rounds.

Horn’s key to victory will be his pressure and ring control. Fighters expend over 3 times the amount of energy moving backwards compared to forward and his strategy will be to wear the Brit and look for the kill late.  Jeff Horn is now at a great point in his career, where he can start to fight among the very best in the world. While the Hellraiser isn’t the same calibre of opponent as Pacquiao was but he will be a great stepping stone for future success – if The Hornet can get past him.

Gary ‘Hellraiser’ Corcoran

Gary Corcoran who will be competing for his first WBO World title on Wednesday night provides a exciting stylistic matchup for Horn. Holding a professional record of 17-1, Hellraiser has a reputation of being a real crowd pleaser and this AUS v ENG battle comes at the perfect time – during The Ashes.

In the fight game, when a fighter is building his resume as Horn currently is, they will battle opponents with a less than impressive record or skillset in an attempt to improve the record. This helps them get international recognition and potential big money fights. That’s something that hasn’t occurred throughout Horn’s career and this bout is no different.

Corcora is similar to Horn in that he likes to use his weight and size, leaning in on opponents and forcing them to take the first step back. In his most recent bout with Ekundayo, Corcoran bullied his opponent en route to a split decision victory and will be looking to employ similar tactics in his bout with Horn. A victory against Horn pushes Corcoran into the spotlight and would wipe the gloss off Horn’s victory over Pacquiao. Still relatively young in his career, expect the Brit to give it his all against Horn and that makes his a very dangerous opponent.

Final Say

Aussies should be confident in Horns chances; William Hill has him currently sitting at a short $1.12. The one thing that is guaranteed in this bout is excitement and both men will be desperate for a with the WBO title on the line. While the future may hold a Pacquiao rematch, Horn must solely focus on Corcoran and not overlook the tough Brit.

The Wolf expects a more calculated Horn to not over-exert his energy early and maintain a great pace for the 12 rounds. Gary Corcoran will provide adequate resistance, but the might of Jeff Horn should be to strong. With the momentum of a country behind him, look for Horn to outclass Hellraiser in this one to a clear unanimous decision victory. If Horn is to win by KO it will be in the latter rounds.

Best: Method of Victory – Jeff Horn by Points ($2.30)Value: Round Group Betting IV – Horn Rounds 7-12 ($3.60)