Australian Jeff Horn has set his sights on Jessie Vargas' WBO world welterweight title after adding the biggest name yet to his growing hitlist.
Horn defeated hard-hitting American veteran and three-time world champion Randall Bailey via technical knockout after seven rounds at a sold-out Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday.
It was a comprehensive win, the 14th of his professional career, and confirms Horn's status as a genuine star on the rise in Australian boxing.
Horn, 28, is the No.5 contender to the belt held by Vargas as his promoters, Duco Events, have plot a course they hope will see the quiet, mild-mannered schoolteacher from Brisbane's southside soon climb into a mandatory position to challenge for the title.
But if Vargas is keen, Horn wants it to happen sooner rather than later.
"I do want to go all the way, whether that's in the next fight or whether that's in a year's time - whenever I get that opportunity, I'm not going to say no to it," he said.
"Jessie Vargas is up there now, he's someone that I would love to fight for a world title."
Horn had an interrupted preparation before his clash with Bailey and took on the 'KO King' with a titanium plate lodged in his throat.
It was placed there by surgeons after Horn suffered a collapsed larynx in a freak sparring injury earlier in the year that forced the bout to be delayed.
Another blow to the throat, he was told, could have been fatal.
But the only real shot Bailey landed, he withstood.
Horn was floored by a fierce right from the American in the third round but, as he and his trainer Glenn Rushton both predicted would happen during the week, he simply wore it, wobbled back to his feet and gave it back with interest.
"We did talk about it before the fight, I know it was said in the newspaper - it was going to take a hit or so to wake me up, and that's what happened," he said.
"I reckon that was probably one of his best shots I took and I sucked it up, as I do, and I felt good straight after."
Horn will now go on a deserved one-month holiday as his promoters try to tee up his next fight.
"In my opinion there is no-one in the welterweight division who hits as hard as Randall Bailey," said Duco's Dean Lonergan.
"If Jeff can take flush shots from him that means no-one's going to knock him out in the entire division.
"That will put both the IBF and WBO on notice."
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