Both boxer’s will meet at a sold out Suncorp Stadium on July 2. / AFP PHOTO / Patrick HAMILTON
(Eagle News) — Australia’s Jeff “The Hornet” Horn defeated Filipino boxing legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao in a 12-round boxing bout in Brisbane, Australia that stunned many boxing fans.
Horn won via unanimous decision, at the packed Australia’s Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane where the announcer said “A star has been born in Brisbane tonight” immediately after Horn was declared as the new World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.
Horn said he was willing to face Pacquiao in a rematch during the interview after the fight.
“Yeah that’s fine. Bring it on,” said the former physical education school teacher.
From the start, Horn looked hungry for a win in a fight that would put him for the first time on the global limelight. The Australian only entered professional boxing arena in March 2013, and had successive wins (16) since then, 11 of them by knockout.
But Horn employed several headbutts, prompting some commentators to question why the referee was allowing the Australian to “roughhouse” Manny.
Pacquiao sent Horn across the floor on Round 8, stunning him after the Australian gave him headbutts in the previous rounds.
Starting Round 9, Horn began to be a little shaky after receiving blow after blow from Pacquiao. The Filipino boxing legend attacked Horn with such an aggressiveness that the Australian was barely able to stand.
Given no chance by most observers, the 29-year-old Horn’s ultra-aggressive style proved too much for Pacquiao, with the three judges scoring the fight 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 to the Australian after 12 rounds.
Pacquiao, 38, is an eight-weight world champion considered one of the greatest fighters of his generation. His camp had predicted a “short and sweet” win over Horn, a 2012 Australian Olympian.
But Horn showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion, taking the fight to the Filipino great from the opening bell.
He moved forward relentlessly, not allowing Pacquiao time to find any rhythm.
Pacquiao did manage to land some left jabs in the opening rounds to take the early points, but Horn refused to back away and his brawling tactics paid dividends through the middle stages.
Pacquiao, bleeding profusely from cuts to the head high above both eyes, then launched a savage counterattack in the ninth round and appeared to have Horn in trouble, only for the Australian to come back and win the 10th as he reasserted control.
Both fighters began to tire in the final two rounds but Horn’s early lead proved too much to peg back as he claimed the biggest win of his career.
Pacquiao had been hoping to set up a second big-money showdown with Floyd Mayweather, but it was Horn who called for a fight with the unbeaten American immediately after his win.
Pacquiao-Horn rematch
Asked to comment on the unanimous decision, Pacquiao said: “That’s the decision of the judges. I respect that.”
But a Pacquiao-Horn fight could soon be in the offing because of a rematch clause in the contract.
“Absolutely, yes. We have a rematch [clause] so no problem,” Pacquiao said. “Yeah, yeah. He beat me.”
(with a report from Agence France Presse)