Horn’s ‘Heist of The Century?’

By Al S. Mendoza

 

MANNY Pacquiao has officially started his training for his July 2fight against Australia’s Jeff Horn.

Let us all welcome that.

If you ask me, I think Pacquiao’s a bit late.

Most fighters need at least eight weeks—two months—to really be in tiptop shape for a 12-round fight.

In fact, with eight weeks of serious and uninterrupted training, a fighter can last even 16 rounds or more without feeling weak or succumbing to exhaustion.

At this stage of Pacquiao’s career, he needs more time to prepare.

At 38 years of age, he’s not spring chicken anymore.

Knees could start crumbling and might transform into limp, spaghetti noodles when the going gets tough.

The surest way to avoid that is to condition the entire body to be weary-free.

Next to that is the mind to be worry-free, too.

As the saying goes, “Sound body and sound mind” are the warrior’s perfect tools in achieving victory.

Pacquiao may still have a sound mind, but how about his body?

He’s been fighting for more than 20 years now.

That’s too long for anyone into boxing.

Just comparing Pacquiao’s number of fights to that of Horn’s could send sickening signals of massive disparity.

Pacquiao has had 67 fights to only 17 for Horn.

That’s a difference of 50 fights—too big a gap to belittle.

It has a high side:  Pacquiao is a hands-down veteran in that his experience could save him when the sailing gets rough.

The downside is Pacquiao, with those 67 fights, might have already absorbed telling punishment detrimental to his overall condition.

Wear and tear could set in as a factor should Horn prove to be a tough nut to crack.

Now, with Horn having only 17 fights, he’s automatically handicapped experience-wise.

But then, look at it in terms of how fresh Horn might be on fight night.

Not punch-drunk, of course, so that his mobility is super and he could be hard to hit, pinned down?

Horn-hunters say the former Australian teacher has the tendency to be on attack mode all the time.

In that case, he’s the perfect customer for Pacquiao, who frolics in a toe-to-toe combat.

While Horn appears impressive with his 17-0, win-loss card, 11 knockouts, his foes are suspect, though.

On that aspect, Pacquiao is miles ahead as many of the PacMan’s 59 victims, 38 by KO, were Hall of Fame-bound—including De La Hoya, Morales, Barrera, Hatton, Cotto, Margarito and Marquez.

Still and all, let’s hope that Pacquiao gets his usual correct and proper training.

Otherwise, a shocker is in the offing in the Battle of Brisbane in Australia.

A Horn win could easily be the equivalent of the “Heist of The Century.”

That’s up to Pacquiao.

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