09:53

Good evening and welcome to River City Rumble! I’m Guardian Australia’s deputy culture editor by day; boxing enthusiast and dabbler by night (and occasionally, very early in the morning).

Two titles are on the line in tonight’s main event at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane: the currently vacant WBA Oceania middleweight title, and the WBO oriental middleweight title, currently held by Anthony Mundine. He scooped up the WBO oriental middleweight title when he fought Tommy Browne in January, knocking out the western Sydney boxer in only the second round.

For Horn, the stakes are high. After winning the WBO welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao in his home town of Brisbane in 2017 and defending it against the UK’s Gary Corcoran last December, he lost it to American Terence Crawford in Vegas in June. That fight that saw a totally relaxed and in control Crawford push Horn to his limits before defeating him by TKO in the ninth round. It was Horn’s first professional loss. He really needs to win tonight to keep his career going – and it will surprise many if he doesn’t.

For Mundine, though, the fight may represent his swansong. The 43-year-old is widely expected to put his 18-year stint in the professional circuit to bed after tonight.

This is the second time Horn has faced down a massive boxing identity in the twilight of their career. “[Mundine] has had his time and now it is my time to take over,” Horn said. “I am surprised his career is still going.”

Will this fight represent changing of the guard in Australian boxing? Or will Horn “walk into a big bomb and it’ll all be over”, as Mundine’s trainer and father, Tony, predicts?

Stay with me as we follow it live. And if you need to get anything off your chest please do feel free to email or tweet @gingerandhoney.