Rising Australian welterweight Jeff Horn believes he will have the energy to power through German Rico Mueller's defences despite a shaky preparation for the most important bout of his career.
Horn had to lose upwards of 4kg to make the 66.7kg weight limit for Friday's IBF-sanctioned bout at Brisbane's Sleeman Sports Complex, which offers a likely shot at one of two world title belts for the winner - and, should he beat Jessie Vargas on November 5, a potential meeting with Manny Pacquiao.
Both fighters will weigh in again on Friday morning and can't exceed the 71.7kg limit but the 28-year-old former schoolteacher was refuelling and rehydrating the second he stepped off the scales on Thursday, and feeling optimistic.
"I've got the Hydralite with me, the Gatorades and I'm pumping them back into me as fast as I can," Horn said.
"I feel like I've done this before, I've done this many times, tomorrow I should be feeling right and ready to go."
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Horn is planning an all-out body assault on the classy Mueller (20-1-1, 14KOs), whose only loss came on points to Poland's Lukasz Maciec six years ago.
Mueller has never been knocked down in his career, but Horn and his trainer Glenn Rushton are backing their plan - and the 2012 Olympian's ability to execute it on the back of an exhausting last few days.
"It's like cutting a tree down - if you bring down the bottom, you'll get the top," Horn said.
"I know that he's very strong guy, he's got a great guard, he's going to be like a wall walking forward, which I'm going to have to try and penetrate.
"He's going to probably try and work me, and I'm going to just have to see what he's got in the first few rounds, really."
Mueller's last fight was in May last year and comes into this contest under an injury cloud, according to German newspaper MOZ.
"I had a shoulder injury that should have been operated on," he told the newspaper.
"I still have pain, but this fight is a big chance that I could not pass up.
"I'm clearly the underdog. This will certainly be very difficult."
TALE OF THE TAPE - JEFF HORN vs RICO MUELLER
Jeff Horn
Born: February 4, 1988, Brisbane, Australia
Career record: 14-0-1 (9 KOs)
Height: 175cm
Weight: 66.35kg
Rico Mueller
Born: June 6, 1998, Eberswalde, Brandenburg, Germany
Career record: 20-1-1 (14 KOs)
Height: 175cm
Weight: 66.65kg
