JEFF Horn and Gary Corcoran tried to tear each other apart on Wednesday night but when it was all over they embraced back stage and gave each other their very best Christmas wishes.

There is a great honour among fighters, a mutual respect for those willing to tackle the toughest sport of all.

It’s the sort of respect that was lacking when American Teddy Atlas ranted about the judging in Horn’s win over Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in July, a diatribe which sparked an international outcry.

That eruption of nonsense now looks to have cost Atlas his job on live ESPN broadcasts after 21 years behind the microphone.

“I wish I was able to speak more on it, but I gave my word that I wouldn’t.”

ESPN was reportedly furious with Atlas’s wild claims of “corruption’’ over the judging during the Horn-Pacquiao telecast.


By contrast Gary Corcoran’s camp said on Wednesday night that they had no issues with the one-sided scoring in their fight with Horn.

Even though many ringsiders thought it was a close contest, judge Lisa Giampa from Las Vegas had given Horn all 10 of the completed rounds while the other two judges — New Mexico’s Levi Martinez and California’s Lou Moret — had it 9-1.

Horn and Corcoran gave each other the utmost respect during and after the fight.

”I congratulated Gary on a great effort,’’ Horn said.

“I told him that he was an extremely tough guy with a lot of heart and determination and I wished him all the best for his life.’’


The Englishman earned $175,000 for the fight and needed 10 stitches to repair his wounds. Horn earned $1 million and needed 11 stitches.

Corcoran told Horn that he was in the top bracket of fighters in the world and that he had the strength and courage to overcome the very best including the unbeaten American Terence Crawford.

“It was a tough fight,’’ Corcoran said,

“The better man won on the night but I’ll be back stronger than ever. I was too tense at the start but I’ll learn from this.’’