But things have changed and a text message from Top Rank supremo Bob Arum suggests Horn may get a shot at redemption after he dismantled Anthony Mundine in 96 seconds at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

If not against pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, then at least another big name could be on the cards for the 19-1-1 former world champion.

Arum reached out to promoter Dean Lonergan to offer his congratulations for a lopsided knockout victory over Mundine. Lonergan may well respond with a phone call about putting Horn back in the ring with an international superstar, for he has easily conquered the domestic scene.

The sample size was small but Horn looked impressive in a heavier division and the lure of testing himself at light middleweight or middleweight must surely be attractive.

In taking what was perceived to be a low-risk bout against “The Man”, who at 43 years old is long removed from a world title picture, Horn bypassed a chance to inject himself directly back into championship calculations.

The harsh truth is, outside of Arum, Horn's sheer dominance will barely have made a ripple in the United States. But the 30-year-old isn't giving up on having a strap around his waist soon enough - something more meaningful than the WBA Oceania and WBO Oriental middleweight titles he captured against 'The Man'.

“It all depends on what opportunities we get, that’s the main thing,” Horn said.

“Who is going to come out next? Who is going to want to fight me? Where am I going to be ranked and who can I get a crack at?

“Maybe I’ll get a world title shot quite quickly in the super welterweight or middleweight divisions. Time will tell.”

Horn's trainer Glenn Rushton is adamant his protege can beat Crawford, but their bout in June showed a significant gulf in class between the former school teacher and the best on the planet.

Canelo Alvarez was another name thrown into the equation, but a win over Mundine - no matter how devastating - will do little to convince anybody Horn is ready to challenge someone of the middleweight king's calibre.

The Mundine bout made sense from a financial standpoint for a man that has long conceded he doesn’t want to be fighting forever, but in truth it was a cavernous drop in quality.

Horn had gone from battles with legendary figure Manny Pacquiao and Crawford to a 43-year-old long removed from a world title picture. One that looked timid at that.

What the bout some dubbed a glorified bank transaction did do, is push Horn further into the mainstream in his home country.

With the River City Rumble in the rear view mirror, it’s time for Horn to get back to establishing himself on the world stage.

WBC champion Shawn Porter appeals to Lonergan, while a return to welterweight could put Pacquiao (WBA regular champion), WBA super champion Keith Thurman, and IBF king Errol Spence Jr. in their sights.

Needless to say, Horn would likely have to topple one of those names if he intends on sharing the ring with Crawford again, which is just where Rushton wants his man to be.

"We’ll be looking at all opportunities in three weight divisions. Everyone in Australia knows I want Crawford. I know Jeff can beat Crawford, we’d like to see that back at Suncorp Stadium," Rushton said.

"The other one of course I would like to see, is Jeff against Alvarez. I would dearly love to see Alvarez come to either super welter or middle. Then again there is a lot of great talent at super welter.

"One thing I am very bullish on is bringing these big fights to Australia. Stuff Vegas, stuff America, let’s bring the big fights here."

As the man himself said, time will tell when it comes to Horn's next move.