Australian boxer Jeff Horn was the surprise last night in Brisbane by beating the Filipino Manny Pacquiao to win the WBO welterweight Boxing title. The 29 year old Australian won his first world title. Pacquiao loses for only the seventh time in his career.
Australian Jeff Horn was the surprise by winning on points against Filipino star Manny Pacquiao to win the WBO welterweight title at the end of a fight over twelve rounds on Sunday at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane (Australia). The scoring of the three judges (117-111 and 115-113 twice) was favorable to relatively inexperienced Horn who, at 29, showed a record of 16 wins and 1 draw in 17 fights. For Pacquiao, it is his seventh defeat in 67 fights over a carrer of 38 years.
The Australian did not let the tension and atmosphere of the event, its prestigious opponent, nor the issue (his first world title), or by 50,000 spectators, a first for him, rattle him. Resolutely aggressive, he was on the offensive from the first round, not allowing Pacquiao, the undisputed favorite, from finding his rhythm of his boxing. The Filipino, is the only boxer to have held major world titles in eight categories, at first seemed to be unaffected by the attack before to be more pressing from the ninth round.
Horn stronger
Horn, marked around the face, and breathing more heavily still did not bend to dominate the last two Rounds.
The Physical education teacher who started boxing late, at 17, to defend the school eventually winning on a points decision at the end of the twelfth round.
Pacquiao, he juggles a political career in his country where he is senator. Back in the ring in November after a seven-month retirement, he was offered the American Jessie Vargas, winning on a unanimous decision, to recover the WBO welterweight title. The defense of the belt against Horn was to be one more step before a rematch against American Floyd Mayweather, who had won on points after a disappointing “fight of the century” in 2015.
