A world title shot beckons for Jeff Horn after the Australian welterweight star underlined his credentials in emphatic style by steamrolling German Rico Mueller.
Horn won by technical knockout in the ninth round to deliver Mueller's first defeat in six years and continue his rise in front of a hometown crowd at Brisbane's Sleeman Sports Centre on Friday.
It means the 28-year-old former schoolteacher will rise to No.2 in the IBF rankings, putting him in the frame for a clash with American Errol Spence Jr for the soon-to-be-vacated world welterweight championship.
Mueller had no answer to Horn's relentless onslaught and a flurry of right hands late in the piece sent the German tumbling through the ropes, prompting referee Sam Williams to call it off.
The win keeps Horn's undefeated run as a professional intact, taking his record to 15-0-1, while Mueller (now 20-2-1) was stopped for the first time in his career.
Despite having to lose upwards of 4kg to make weight, Horn was full of energy from the get-go and was by far the more active and efficient fighter through the early rounds.
Mueller, fighting for the first time in more than a year and carrying a shoulder injury, struggled to land a significant punch and the cumulative effect of Horn's almost non-stop attack eventually took its toll.
A vicious combination from Horn in the sixth round opened up a gash near Mueller's left eye.
He fired back with a solid jab early in the next round but that only served to encourage Horn, who immediately turned up the heat.
Former world heavyweight title contender and commentator Kali Meehan put the night in its proper context on Fox Sports: "We're witnessing the birth of a superstar."
Horn said he felt he had Mueller's measure all the way and wasted no time declaring his intention to take on Spence for the IBF belt.
"100 percent, bring on Eroll Spence Jr for the world title," he said.
"I'm improving with every single fight.
"I feel like the higher the competition level out there, I'm just going to box better and better against them."
