Suncorp Stadium Brisbane. PACQUAIO V HORN
Stadium is packed. Fight co-promoted by Bob Arum and Duco. Around 50,000 spectators in to watch what is being mooted as the biggest fight card in Australia’s history.
Buffer calls the fight credentials in the way he is famed for.
Jeff Horn (17-0-1) looks good to go, Manny Pacquaio (59-7-2) calm. Both men in great nick. Stare down casual. No daggers. Bell rings for round 1, it’s on.
Round 1:
Horn busy start, intent loaded punches coming down the chute. He’s turned up to go! Horn the much bigger man hydrated. Looks to be around 160 pound? Not a situation unusual to Pac but he is definitively shorter and lighter. Horn really busy, out-hustling and landing Pac. Lands a nice right hand down the chute. Horn bulling forward, he best be careful. He could wear one coming in.
Horn busier, landed the more telling punches.
Horn round: 10-9.
Round 2:
Horn looks more measured this round. Not the buzz saw style of the first…yet. Lands a nice right hand. Pac lands a nice shot to the midriff, left hand upstairs. Manny starting to work his way into the round, the fight. Hectic pace. Work at the end of the round locks it up for Pacquaio but Horn does not look to be overawed by being the hometown guy in a mega-event. Another day at the office for Pac
Pacquiao round. 10-9.
Round 3:
Horn height a problem for Pac? At times he looks awkward, flailing. Horn goes for a 1-2 down the middle. Pac smiles it off. Horn bulling forward. Big left hook landed. Pacquaio looks to be hunting for the overhand left down the shoot. Throws it, comes up short. Horn winning the exchanges through volume. Horn leans on Manny, nullifies him. Left hand on the chin stuns Horn. Horn backing up.
Horn busier despite the Pacquaio big shot.
Horn round: 10-9
Round 4:
Horn lands a big left hand. Pac smiles. Manny lands a left down the chute. Manny down, a push. Say it again, Horn bull rushing in dangerous against a counter puncher like Pac. Both men land big shots, both wear them. They go looking again. The frantic pace has shortened up but Horn definitely got an edge in the busy stakes. Pac simply hasn’t found his groove. Horn lands an uppercut. Horn misses with a loaded right hand. Both men swinging, nothing lands.
Horn the aggressor.
Horn round: 10 – 9
Round 5:
Horn bullying forward. Great body shot landed by Horn, Manny claps. Manny trying to do a psyche job on Horn?? Not working to this point, Horn keeps working. Horn back to busy. Manny hasn’t found a tempo to box to. Horn’s height, rushing, smother style contributing to that. Horn not showing the great man any respect as he walks him down and nor should he. Pac wild with the left hand, air swing. It’s turned into a bar room brawl, both men swinging from the cheap seats. Horn cracked by a left hand just before the Bell. Tough round to score.
10-10.
Round 6.:
At this pace conditioning is going to be a factor down the stretch. Horn pushes Pac against the ropes and bullies him, digging to the body, upstairs. Manny getting outworked. Accidental head butt. Cut high on Pac’s hairline, won’t effect his vision. Horn back to coming forward lording over Pac. Horn lands a great right hand that shakes Pac. Pac slaps his gloves together. Commentators are talking about Pac getting stopped – PREMATURE – and wrong. He hasn’t taken an accumulation of shots to warrant that call .
Horn round: 10 -9
Round 7:
Pac cracks Horn with a great left hand down the middle. He needs a load more of those. Are we watching Manny turn 38 years of age in front of us? He is simply getting outworked, hustled by a busier guy – usually his boxing gig. Even round to this point. Manny loads up a hail Mary of a left, misses. Right hand landed by Horn, Horn leaning on Pac. Crowd booing – idiots. Horn back to bullying forward, laying down some heavy artillery.
Horn round. Busier.
Horn: 10 – 9
Round 8:
Manny looking to engage, but isn’t. They get tied up. Manny fires a left hand down the chute. Manny still looking for the left hand. Pac simply not landing enough. Horn down, a butt of heads, not a punch. Horn up, he’s fine. Horn a tad more cautious then the prior rounds. Horn hurt by an overhand left. He wobbled backwards! Not sure Manny knows he shook him up so bad. Horns legs are not there.
Big Pac round!
Pacquiao: 10- 9
Round 9:
Pac going Hornet hunting! Pac had him badly hurt in round 8, has he recovered? Pac lands a right hand, Horn wears it. Pac coming forward. Pac now getting off first. Pac coming on. Looks to be in a groove! Horn looks shot. Horn getting clubbed by a swarming Pac, trying to weather a hell of a Pac storm. Pack is coming home. Horn on wobble street, Pac head hunting. Pac taps him again. Horn nearly went, did well to see the round out.
Huge Pac round.
Pac round: 10- 8.
Round 10:
Ref is asking Horn if he wants to continue in the round 9-10 break, Corner says he’s good to go, and out he goes. Horn has acquitted himself well but he’s going to do well to see this fight out. Horn lands straight right. Horn trying to push forward. Horn looks to have his wherewithal back. Pac lands a left hand. Pac hasn’t landed clean. Horn lands a good right hands. Doesn’t move Pac. Pac trying to come on late.
Tough round to score, Pac coming forward.
Pac round: 10-9
Round 11:
Crowd is immense when the cameras pan out. Incredible turnout Brisbane, Australia. Left hand down the chute lands for Pac. Horn pushes Pac against the ropes and works with shoe shine punches. Pac lands a good left hand, Horn replies with a beautiful jab. Venom seems to have gone from Pac, and as I write that he lands a huge body shot to Horns midriff. Pac the aggressor.
Pac round: 10 – 9.
Round 12:
This fight is close going into the championship round. Horn bulling forward, rough housing, elbows, punches. pushing his head up under Manny’s chin. He’s doing what he has to to hear the bell ring at the end of 12. Big right hand by Horn, doesn’t move Pac. Tape comes off Horns gloves. His coach cuts off the excess. He’s straight back to front foot fighting. Sheesh he has done well to weather the earlier storm and be coming on like a solider in the penultimate round! Both men are digging deep. Reaching to the bottom of the well. Neither backing up. They’re swinging in a bar room brawl right down to the bell. Could go either way depending on how the judges adjudged the close rounds!
What a fight, what a last round!
10-10
Decision in! Horn by unanimous decision! His corner goes crazy! As they should! What a scrap!
