Jeff Horn’s vision comes to fruition with win over Pacquiao

BRISBANE, Australia—Jeff Horn’s vision has come true. When the final bell rang, his arms were raised and the world welterweight title was on his waist.

While Manny Pacquiao saw no sign, nor dreamed of emerging the loser in their “Battle of Brisbane,” Horn bared during Wednesday’s press conference that he pictured himself at the top of the ring, victorious.

Very few believed the former school teacher then as he was the huge underdog in his WBO tussle against the legendary Pacquiao.

But Horn believed in himself, confident with his abilities and the preparations he and his trainers have taken in the course of a 10-month training camp.

“It feels amazing, Horn said during the post fight conference at a function room of Suncorp Stadium. “I felt just lucky throwing a lot of punches to uspet his rhythm.”

Well, that was part of the 10-point plan charted by Glenn Rushton, Horn’s millionaire trainer.

According to Horn, who showed up with his handsome face marked with welts, cuts and bruises, performing before over 50,000 people, propped him up.

And hearing them chanting his moniker, Hornet, gave him the strength to survive a near knockout in the ninth round and finish the bout still firing away.

“That’s just my heart,” said Horn. “It keeps me going a couple of more rounds. I still feel good and came back in the 10th, 11th and 12th rounds. “

Those homestretch rounds indeed turned out to be pivotal as the referees awarded it to him for the marginal points in a unanimous decision over Pacquiao, 117-111 once, and 115-113 twice.

Acknowledging that Pacquiao was indeed a great champion, Horn said he’s willing to give Pacquiao a rematch.

While he prefered his first title defense to be held in Brisbane, Horn said he’s open to the idea of

going over to the Philippines to give Pacquiao a chance to regain the the 147-pound crown.

Another goal for Horn is to unify the welterweight titles and said he doesn’t mind facing World Boxing titlist Keith Thurman or International Boxing Federation king Errol Spence, both Americans.

Horn, who reportedly earned $500,000 for his title crack against Pacquiao, who stands to get around $8 to 10 million, said he was also motivated by the desire to give his wife and his unborn child a better life.

Now that he’s a champion, Horn has widened his horizon.

Only 29, he can dream on without restrictions.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Horn stuns Pacquiao for unanimous decision win

Manny Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight world title to Jeff Horn in a stunning, unanimous points decision in a Sunday afternoon bout billed as the Battle of Brisbane in front of more than 51,000 people.

The 11-time world champion entered the fight at Suncorp Stadium as a hot favorite but got more than he bargained for against the 29-year-old former schoolteacher.

Still, Pacquiao dominated the later rounds and had Horn wobbling at the end of the 9th.

“I felt buzzed for sure, but I’m the Hornet — I’ve got to come back,” Horn said of that round. “I’m not a quitter. Australians aren’t quitters to start with. We’ve showed we’re winners.

“It was the battle of Brisbane, that’s for sure. Absolutely unbelievable. So pumped.”

Pacquiao’s long-time trainer Freddie Roach predicted the fight would be short and sweet but Horn — unbeaten in his 17 previous professional fights — applied pressure by winning some of the early rounds and Pacquiao needed treatment during the 6th and 7th rounds for a cut on the top of his head that resulted from a clash of heads.

The judges scored the fight 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113, and Horn declared himself “no joke.”

Roach had said earlier in the week that he’d think about advising Pacquiao to retire if he lost the fight, but that would depend on how he fought.

Horn can’t see Pacquiao retiring any time soon.

“I’m sure he’ll want to come back. It was a close decision and I’m sure he’ll want to come back and prove himself,” Horn said.

Top Rank promotor Bob Arum said there was a clause for a rematch, but he’d give it time before talking to Pacquiao about it.

“I know Jeff would welcome the rematch, but I don’t know Manny’s future position,” Arum said. “Is he going to stay in politics and not continue in boxing? I don’t know, and he doesn’t know now — it’s unfair to ask him now.”

Pacquiao’s camp had talked about a rematch with Mayweather if he got past Horn, hoping to avenge his loss on points in the 2015 mega fight. That seems to be a distant chance now.

Pacquiao, who entered the fight with a record of 59-6-2, 38 knockouts, was defending the WBO title he won on points against Jessie Vargas last November.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao’s title on the line vs Horn in ‘Battle of Brisbane’

BRISBANE, Australia— Manny Pacquiao has ducked and weaved, has been accused of being late and rude, and of thinking more about a Floyd Mayweather rematch than his WBO welterweight world title defense against Jeff Horn.

After week of fine-tuning in Australia, Pacquiao and Horn easily made weight at the Saturday morning weigh-in. The Filipino senator did a quick TV interview before making a swift exit to eat.

Locals have grumbled that Pacquiao only attended a formal pre-fight function for a few minutes on Friday, and Horn’s camp accused Pacquiao earlier in the week of being late for the official news conference and then constantly texting on his cell phone through the event.

What nobody can complain about is the pulling power of the 11-time world champion. More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the outdoor bout on Sunday afternoon at Suncorp Stadium, and the so-called “Battle of Brisbane” is expected to set records for pay-per-view in Australia.

For the first time since 2005, a Pacquiao fight hasn’t been restricted to pay-per-view in America. ESPN will broadcast the fight to an estimated 95 million U.S. homes in prime time Saturday night.

“This is the time that I give back to the fans,” Pacquiao said, adding that he’d suggested “let’s do free TV for the fans,” to Top Rank promotor Bob Arum.

“I have to give a good show for them,” he added. “This is it. I’m excited.”

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 knockouts) is defending the WBO title he won on points against Jessie Vargas last November. That was one of the two fights he’s had — the other was a points win over Tim Brady in April of last year — since he lost the 2015 mega fight to Mayweather.

Legendary trainer Freddie Roach has predicted a knockout against Horn, saying Pacquiao is perfectly prepared and the fight should be “short and sweet.”

Pacquiao hasn’t won by knockout since 2009, but Roach said the 38-year-old eight-division champ has knocked down sparring partners and is in vintage form.

“Freddie is very happy because that snap is back, the power is there,” Pacquiao said in an interview with ESPN after the weigh-in. “I feel good. Weight is not a problem. Let’s get it on.”

Roach believes Pacquiao’s boxing future depends on how the fight goes against Horn. If he were to lose, Roach said he’d likely recommend retirement. A comfortable win would add ammunition for a rematch with Mayweather.

Pacquiao has more than a decade of experience in this environment, and said he likes to take on a boxer who has hometown advantage because he enjoys the extra buzz. Horn (16-0-1, 11 knockouts) is unbeaten in his 17 fights since turning pro in 2013, but has never confronted anyone of Pacquiao’s caliber.

Experience, “is my advantage,” Pacquiao said. “But I want to make sure that I … use it properly and maximize it.”

Pacquiao tipped the scales at 66.1 kilograms (146 pounds) on Saturday, and Horn weighed in at 63.35 kilograms (147 pounds) after shedding 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) in recent days.

Horn, a former school teacher and Olympic quarterfinalist before turning pro, said he had the reach and weight advantages over Pacquiao, and had the range of punches that could cause the Filipino great some trouble.

During the week, he has talked about being disrespected amid talk of another Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, and said he had the weapons to knock out Pacquiao.

“Game face is on. School is out,” Horn said. “I just keep that in my mind, what I’m going to have to do in the ring, which will upset Manny.”

source: sports.inquirer.net