BRISBANE, Australia -- Jeff Horn's trainer Glenn Rushton has rejected claims his boxer fights dirty as the 29-year-old world champion gears up for his maiden title defence against Gary Corcoran in Brisbane.
The Queenslander stunned the boxing world when he defeated Manny Pacquiao by a unanimous points decision to claim the WBO welterweight title in July at Suncorp Stadium, with many forming the opinion that the Filipino legend had bossed him for the majority of the 12 rounds.
The fight also earned Horn (17-1-0) the unwanted reputation of fighting below the belt after he appeared to drive his head into Pacquiao and throw rabbit punches on a number of occasions.
Corcoran's trainer, Frank Greaves, claimed on Monday that Horn had gained an unfair advantage in his fight against Pacquiao as well as saying he has benefited from his illegal tactics throughout his career.
"I respect Jeff as a fighter, I respect the team. but let's get one thing straight: There is absolutely no question that he is dirty," Greaves said. "Now all I want is a level playing field. Gary can go into the trenches with anyone in the world, providing we have a level playing field.
"Headbutting, leaning in with his head, he does it all of the time. I just want to draw attention to that tactic."
"If Jeff's going to be dirty and we can be dirty, no problem. We're better than you in all departments."
A visibly irritated Rushton expressed disappointing that people were saying Horn had fought his career with illegal tactics.
Rushton, who has been Horn's trainer since he picked up his first pair of gloves as a teenager, said there's no way he would ever teach a fighter to compete outside of the sporting rules.
"Jeff is not a dirty fighter," Rushton said.
"He never fights dirty. It's quite the opposite. He does not lead with his head and he has never intentionally headbutted anyone. I have trained him not to do that.
"We will be fighting clean, you will get a level playing field, it won't be good enough [for Cocoran].
"They've already got an excuse for when they don't win. I really see it as a sign of weakness."
Rushton believes Horn is in great shape ahead of the fight at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, and he doesn't expect 27-year-old Corcoran to trouble him.
"Jeff is just going to be too skilful for Gary," he said. "Gary's going to be a great warrior, he's going to be tough and a rough fighter, but I see him getting hit that much by Jeff in the later rounds that the referee has to show mercy and stop the fight."