Sports Eye
Pacquiao vs. Horn, a mismatch?
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
AFTER eight months of inactivity, our country’s national sports treasure Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will step inside the ring anew to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt this coming July 2 in Brisbane. Australia. In his professional boxing career, this will be his first fight against an Aussie brawler, the little-known Jeff Horn. Pundits say it will be an easy victory for the fighting Philippine senator and the result could be similar to what he did to Chris Algieri many years back.
Yes, but it’s a ‘maybe.’ I say this because I’ve seen some of Horn’s 17 professional fights on YouTube wherein he knocked out eleven opponents (with one draw) and never tasted yet a knockdown since he turned pro after the 2012 London Olympic Games. In fact his last three fights were so impressive, technically knocked out former two-division world champion Randal Bailey before the 8th round last October 21, and stopped the former International Boxing Organization (IB0) welterweight titleholder Ali Funeka in the 6th round. And in his last fight last December 10, he stopped Hispanic world challenger Vector Arena to retain his WBO Inter-Continental title. Top Rank boxing promoter czar Bob Arum was in attendance in those fights and was so impressed with the 29-year-old Horn. His other remarkable victory was against world rated Rico Mueller of Germany whom he knocked out in the ninth round that landed him number two in WBO’s world ranking. That paved the way for him to battle eight-division champion Pacman on July 2, a match that surprised the world boxing connoisseurs owing to his limited world exposure.
It will be Horn’s very first crack at a world title and also his first ever to tangle with a Filipino boxer inside the ring. Unlike Pacman who perennially fought world champions, including “Hall of Fame” Mexican boxers Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, to name some, the five-foot-nine Horn, nicknamed “The Hornet,” never fought a Chicano prized fighter. But the Brisbane-born Horn is a veteran of 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships losing only to gold medalist Evertone Lopes. In 2012, he picked up his third Australian crown and won in the Oceania Games that gave him the privilege to represent his country Australia in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Unfortunately, he lost to Denys Brinchyk of Ukraine. Disgusted, he turned professional the following year.
Compared to Horn who totes only 17 pro fights, Pacman is a lot more experienced fighter. Pacman has had 67 pro bouts, winning 59, 38 via knockout, lost six and with two draws. But perhaps unknown to you guys is the fact that three of Pacman’s six losses were via devastating knockouts. First was from his compatriot Rustico Torrecampo in his early days as a professional fighter. His second was from Medgoen Singsurat of Thailand in a world flyweight title fight and the third was his memorable fourth battle against Juan Manuel Marquez. He lost via decisions to Erik Morales, Timothy Bradley and to Floyd Mayweather.
Odds-makers still heavily favor Pacman who is predicted to register an easy victory over Horn on July 2 despite Horn’s home court advantage. You guys could say a mismatch is in the making, but let’s just wait and see. Frankly, I don’t foresee a mismatch although my sense is Pacman will win.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. MARK 11: 25-26
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