Rex Tso on Brad Hore: “I will give him my best”

 
POPULAR Hong Kong resident Rex Tso is seen as one of the hottest commodities in Asian boxing.

 
The likeable and undefeated super flyweight has been dubbed ‘The Wonder Kid’ and with good reason, having breezed through seventeen professional contests without a blemish.

 
Tso (17-0, 10 KOs) will look to add the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council bauble to his existing slew of regional titles when he faces Australia’s Brad Hore (5-1) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

 
Ahead of his latest regional title fight, the heavily backed Tso, 28, who recently signed a promotional pact with global force Top Rank, admits that he hasn’t seen any footage of his Australian counterpart.

 
“I didn’t manage to find videos of Brad in any fights,” said Tso in an interview with Aus-Boxing. “But my manager Jay Lau told me to expect very good footwork and movement,”

 
“That means I will have to find a way to cut him off and maybe that won’t be easy.”

 
“I also know that Brad is a very accomplished boxer, and very highly experienced, having represented Australia in international competition, so this will not be an easy fight for me,”

 
“I’m taking it very seriously and have trained very hard – so the fans are going to see a good fight – no matter what the outcome.”

 
The sought-after Tso, who is the first ever professional pugilist to emerge from Hong Kong, was not expected to remain on the regional circuit for much longer, having secured lofty ratings within the major sanctioning bodies.

 
Tso’s team had originally targeted then reigning IBF titleholder Daiki Kameda for their first world title tilt. However, the Japanese firebrand vacated his title, leaving Tso with far more difficult champions to chase.

 
This includes WBC titlist Carlos Cuadras as well as Kohei Kono and the immensely talented youngster Naoya Inoue, who holds the WBO world title.

 
When probed on his thoughts on a potential world title fight, Tso was eager to focus on the task at hand, given that it will be his first fight at home in just over two years.

 
“I’m the first-ever professional boxer from Hong Kong,” continued Tso. “I’ve worked hard to fight and defeat boxers from across the Asia Pacific region,”

 
“I haven’t fought in Hong Kong in more than two years and have instead fought in front of as many as 15,000 fans at The Venetian Macao,”

 
“After 17 professional fights, I consider myself a bit of a veteran now.”

 
“When I fight, no matter where I am, I’m able to focus on the fight, so I can block out any worries.”

 
“Thousands of my fans take the ferry to watch my fights in Macau, so fighting in front of fans is nothing new,”

 
“I have a lot of respect for Brad and welcome him to Hong Kong,” said Tso in closing. “I look forward to my fight with him,”

 
“I respect him – I will give him my best – and I trust he will do the same, so that the best man on the night of the fight shall win,”

 
“Let’s make our fans proud and give them a fight to remember,”

 
 
Photo: Getty Images