The 29-year-old “Hornet”, a former school teacher, has a big punch in his locker and will also have height and reach advantages.
Advertisement
The ever popular Pacquiao will be returning for his 68th contest against the relative unknown, as he looks to keep hold of the WBO world title he won back in April of previous year.
GMA, in partnership with boxing promoter ALV Events International, will also air real-time blow-by-blow account of the WBO welterweight title fight on its flagship AM radio station dzBB 594 and RGMA Super Radyo stations nationwide beginning 9 a.m.
“I guess I’m a real competitor. Had you gone to the United States for six weeks and prepared properly in a training camp, I’d give you a hell of a shot”, Fortune said. “I’m going to get in there hard”. Jeff is a tough kid and has a good ticker, but I don’t think Jeff will have the hand speed to stop Manny Pacquiao.
“The Hornet” (as he is often referred to) has made a strong start to his relatively short professional career, winning 16 of his 17 bouts, with one draw due to a fight being stopped early from an accidental head clash. He’s popular in his native country, though, and officials are expecting more than 50,000 in attendance at the rugby stadium, which would break the Australian boxing record.
Jeff Horn doesn’t mind the comparison with Jessie Vargas, who he said is a great fighter and one-time world champion.
Unbeaten with a 16-0-1 win-loss-draw record, Horn is the massive underdog with Pacquiao tipped heavily to score his first stoppage win in nearly eight years.
Will Pacquiao be back on pay-per-view again?
Horn stands to make huge money – reported at seven figures – if he can defy the odds and inflict only Pacquiao’s seventh defeat inside the ring.
It was the fight that everyone craved but it took years of tiresome wrangling to even get them in the ring together. I never underestimate an opponent. He’ll have no problems making the limit, but won’t put weight back on to the extent Jeff Horn will. Koncz said he’s spoken to Pacquiao about doing a fight in the Philippines, but that it’d take the right deal to make it happen.
“But we all remember 27 years ago, when some guy named Buster Douglas went to Tokyo, was an 80-1 underdog against Mike Tyson, and he knocked Mike Tyson out and became the world heavyweight champion”.
He’s a fading star who can still garner attention when he fights. “It’s mind-blowing for me”.
Fortune, who once fought against Lennox Lewis, said Horn should have spent eight weeks in America against the best available sparring partners.
Manny Pacquiao is seeking a dominant win over Australia’s Jeff Horn to try and coax Floyd Mayweather Jr into a re-match, the Filipino’s long-time trainer Freddie Roach has said.
Advertisement
Horn only needed the weekend to commit it to memory, and is confident it can be a recipe for success. The less than stellar showing vs. Mayweather really nicked the perception of Pacquiao, the whirlwind fighter. “What he’s written down is spot on”. What he’s written down is spot on and I can get the job done if I follow it 100 percent.
