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[av_heading heading=’Pacquiao-Horn face-off in Brisbane today’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Sunday, July 2, 2017
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Manny Pacquiao (left) flashes a smile while Jeff Horn is on game face during their weigh-in at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. PETER WALLIS
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MANILA – Manny Pacquiao will put his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt on the line when he faces Australian Jeff Horn today at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.
Both fighters have showed readiness for the world championship clash as Pacquiao tipped the scales at 146 pounds while Horn submitted 147 pounds during Saturday’s weigh-in.
Pacquiao said he is confident heading into his clash with Horn as he aims to score an impressive win to show his critics that he still has what it takes to fight in the ring.
“It is good to fight in a country that you haven’t fought in before and to give a chance to Jeff — he is undefeated and it is good to give him a chance,” Pacquiao said. “This is a great opportunity to show the fans of boxing that we are still here and not done yet.”
The fight will be shown (slightly delayed) starting 10 a.m. in GMA 7, with a replay at 11 p.m. A live blow-by-blow coverage of the bout may be heard over dzBB AM and Barangay LS FM starting 9 a.m.
“For me I am still the same — I am still a boxer — and I disagree that I have slowed down,” Pacquiao added. “Freddie (Roach) and I are preparing for a knockout, but we will see what will happen during the fight.”
For his part, Horn said he is grateful for the opportunity to fight an elite boxer like Pacquiao and hopes to score an upset not only to maintain his unbeaten record but to lure tougher boxers in his next matches.
“I’m feeling very excited and I can’t wait for Sunday to come and I am ready to go to war,” Horn said. “I think I have a style that Pacquiao has not fought before. I think he is going to struggle with my style. I am bigger than him.”
“He may be faster than me but I am pretty quick as well. I could hit him with the right shot and nobody knows what could happen,” he added. “I have just been putting everything into it — training very hard and I think all of that is going to pay off.”
Pacquiao is set to parade an impressive 59-6-2 win-loss-draw ring record including 38 stoppage wins after his unanimous decision win over Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas in November 2016.
The 28-year-old Horn, who currently holds the WBO and IBF Intercontinental welterweight championship, has an unblemished 16-0-1 win-loss-draw ring record, including 11 stoppage victories./PN
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