Former world champion Bernard Hopkins is unconvinced that Manny Pacquiao lost to Australia's Jeff Horn when they fought earlier this month, but nevertheless hopes that the "Pacman" will move on from that defeat.
Pacquiao was a massive favorite over Horn when they fought in the "Battle of Brisbane" last July 2, but the homegrown fighter managed to hack out a controversial decision to claim the WBO welterweight belt.
Speaking to Radio Rahim, Hopkins said that in his opinion, "there is no way in the world that Pacquiao lost that fight."
"No way in the world," he said emphatically, as quoted by Boxing Scene.
Hopkins, who won titles at middleweight and light-heavyweight, said
he could not help but shake his head when the decision was announced.
"I gave Pacquiao at least nine rounds, eight easy," said Hopkins, who
became the oldest man to win a major world title in 2014. "I don't see
how (Horn) won. I don't know what they (the judges) were watching."
There is a rematch clause in Pacquiao's contract, but Hopkins believes there is no reason for the "Pacman" to face Horn again. In his eyes, the Filipino star won their first encounter easily, and should do so again in a rematch.
Instead, Hopkins is hopeful that Pacquiao will target a different opponent for his next fight.
"I think he should move on, and not have sour grapes about it," Hopkins said of Pacquiao.
"(He should) move on at this stage of his career, and fight somebody meaningful," he added. "A fight that's not only going to be profitable, but also to enhance his legacy."
Pacquiao endorsed a request by the Philippines' Games and Amusements Board to have the fight reviewed by the World Boxing Organization (WBO). However, a WBO review still scored the bout in favor of Horn.
The "Pacman" briefly contemplated retirement following the loss, but later said that he intends to fight on.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Jinkee Pacquiao is planning to convince her husband, Senator Manny Pacquiao, to finally retire from boxing after losing to Australian fighter Jeff Horn.
The two boxers faced off at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday, which saw Horn winning by unanimous decision.
Judges scored the bout 117-111, 115-113, 115-113, all in favor of Horn, giving the Australian boxer the WBO welterweight title – the first world championship of his young professional career.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News after the match, Jinkee acknowledged that her husband is no longer getting any younger.
“Yun lang siguro ang ipapakiusap namin sa kanya. Mas magiging happy ako at si Mommy D and, of course, 'yung mga anak ko,” she said.
According to Jinkee, she got worried when she saw that Pacquiao already had cuts in the face.
“Doon ako kinabahan na baka mahinto yung fight. ‘Di ba usually kapag ganoon, natatalo 'yung boxer. Hinihinto na nila tapos winner na 'yung kalaban,” she said. “Nung na-headbutt na siya, doon ako natakot kasi ayaw kong nakikita siyang duguan.”
Nonetheless, Jinkee thought the Pacquiao-Horn match was a very close fight.
“Malakas din kasi si Horn. Pero si Manny, pinakita pa rin niya ang kanyang lakas at bilis,” she said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Manny Pacquiao may have been the picture of graciousness and sportsmanship in the wake of his stunning loss to Jeff Horn, but the "Pacman" pulled no punches after the bout when asked about the controversial result.
"For me, we won the fight," Pacquiao told reporters in Brisbane, Australia. "It's clear naman, kahit i-review mo ang fight."
Making the first defense of his WBO welterweight belt,
Pacquiao was expected to cruise past the little-known Horn, who was
fighting in a world championship bout for the very first time in his
career.
Instead, Pacquiao found himself in a war with Horn, who never let up through 12 rounds. The Filipino icon nearly ended matters in the ninth round, only for Horn to get a second wind in the final three frames.
Horn wound up with a 117-111, 115-113, 115-113 win to become the new world champion.
When asked about the result inside the ring, Pacquiao said he had no complaints.
"It's part of the game," he said at the time.
Later, however, Pacquiao admitted he was trying to be respectful as he knew that complaining about the scores would accomplish nothing.
"Rerespetuhin ko na lang," he said. "Kahit magsasalita ako doon, tapos na 'yung resulta."
However, he stressed that he believes he won the bout, and that he was not hurt even when Horn repeatedly drove him to the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches on him during the early rounds.
"Actually, blocked naman 'yun. Kahit ire-review mo 'yung tama, 'yung mga suntok niya sa katawan, blocked ko lahat 'yun," he said.
Giving Pacquiao more trouble were the cuts on his head, which he suffered in the sixth and seventh round due to accidental head butts. He needed to have the cuts stitched up inside the locker room afterward, but made light of the injuries.
"Okay lang," he said. "Malayo sa bituka."
As for his future in the sport, Pacquiao reiterated that he would like a rematch against Horn, but seemed reluctant to fight in Australia again.
"Depende na lang 'yan. At saka na pag-usapan 'yan, but for me, mas maganda sa Pilipinas," he said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Manny Pacquiao's unanimous decision loss to Jeff Horn, as controversial as it was, might just be a sign that the "Pacman" can no longer juggle his multiple responsibilities as a boxer and as a Senator.
This, according to his own coach, Freddie Roach.
Roach watched from the corner as Pacquiao repeatedly whacked away at the 29-year-old Horn, and believed that the "Pacman" deserved the decision. However, he also saw how the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing failed to close out the show after a superb ninth round.
"The ninth round was very good," said Roach, referring to Pacquiao's best round of the bout that saw him nearly stop Horn. "I wanted one more like that, and he just didn't have it."
"That was a very, very busy round, very aggressive, very explosive, good combinations. That was the Manny Pacquiao I've been working to see. He had spurts… but not enough," he added.
Horn wound up with a 117-111, 115-113, 115-113 win to claim the WBO welterweight belt, his first world title. Pacquiao, meanwhile, lost for the first time since dropping a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather in May 2015.
Pacquiao did not retire after that fight against Mayweather, opting instead to face Timothy Bradley in April 2016 for what should have been his final fight. He was back in the ring later that year, however, beating Jessie Vargas for the WBO belt.
After his prized ward lost the title to the younger Horn, Roach admits that it may be time for Pacquiao to hang up his gloves for good.
"Yes," he said frankly when asked if retirement is now an option for Pacquiao.
"I'm going to watch the tape and talk to Manny about it," he added. "We will have a discussion about that, yes. Being a senator, and being a fighter, it's really hard."
Roach noted that Pacquiao was able to juggle his life as a boxer and a politician better back when he was a congressman, partly because the "Pacman" did not have as many responsibilities back then. His job in the Senate, however, is much more demanding.
"He likes this better than the other one," Roach said. "For me, looking in, I can see he's liking this job now. He's a lot busier in this job than he was before. Now he's a senator… maybe it is over."
If Pacquiao is to continue with his boxing career, that will require more free time, said Roach, and he admits that may not be possible given the demands of the job.
"It's a difficult decision, but it might be one he has to make," said Roach.
Nevertheless, Roach wants it known that he believes Pacquiao should have won. "I had him up three or four points, but I'm not a judge though," he said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Unheralded Australian boxer Jeff Horn pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport by outpointing Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in front of his hometown fans at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia on Sunday.
In front of over 50,000 fans in Brisbane, Horn pressured Pacquiao for 12 grueling rounds, survived a hellish beating in the ninth, and finished with a strong flurry to earn the nod of all three judges.
Judges scored the bout 117-111, 115-113, 115-113, all in favor of Horn, giving the Australian boxer the WBO welterweight title – the first world championship of his young professional career.
"It's an absolute dream come true," said Horn, beaming in delight even as his right eye was starting to swell after being cut during the bout.
It was a stunning victory for Horn, who was given little chance of being competitive against the 38-year-old Pacquiao, much less beating the Filipino legend. However, Horn and his team had been quietly confident all throughout fight week, believing that they had prepared well enough to take down the "Pacman."
The Australian caught Pacquiao off guard early as Horn opened the bout on an aggressive note, repeatedly pressing the Filipino against the ropes and unloading punches. While Pacquiao managed to block or evade most of Horn's shots, the "Hornet" did land a right hand that caught Pacquiao's attention late in the first.
Horn managed to keep up his aggressive style as the fight went on, with Pacquiao content to land counter lefts every time that Horn came in. The bout took a turn for the bloody in the sixth round, when an accidental clash of heads opened up wide gash on the right side of Pacquiao's head.
Trying to take advantage of the situation, Horn ramped up his activity and tagged Pacquiao with another huge right, only for the Filipino boxer to shake it off and even egg on the Australian.
However, Pacquiao sustained another deep cut in the seventh round, due again to an accidental head butt. Remarkably, the Filipino again shook it off, and seemed to gain his rhythm while Horn's energy appeared to flag.
Pacquiao took over in the ninth round, catching Horn flush to his head that forced the Australian to clinch. The blow clearly staggered the 29-year-old Horn, who spent most of the round on the defensive. Pacquiao, meanwhile, tried valiantly to go for the finishing blow, but Horn managed to end the round on his feet.
Warned by the referee to "show me something" or else risk having the fight stopped, Horn came out with renewed energy in the 10th round, and the two combatants gave the fans in Brisbane a show by swinging at each for the final three frames of the bout.
As if to show that he still had the energy to go on, Pacquiao put on a shadow boxing display when the final bell rang, and was lifted up by his team immediately.
However, the smiles on their faces turned to frowns of confusion when Horn was announced as the winner.
"No complaints," Pacquiao said of the judges' scores. "It's part of the game."
Both men left the door open for a rematch after the bout. "Bring it on," said Horn. "Oh yeah, definitely," Pacquiao said when asked.
Yet it appeared that Horn already has his eyes set on an even bigger prize, as he challenged unbeaten American superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. immediately afterward. The Australian pulled out a pair of boxing gloves and a cane, then said: "To Floyd Mayweather, this is no joke – which one does he want, the walking stick or the gloves?"
Mayweather is set to face mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor in a boxing match on August 26.
Horn improved to 17 wins with no loss and one draw.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, dropped to 59-7-2. It was his first loss since being beaten by Mayweather in the "Fight of the Century" last May 2015.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Veteran trainer Freddie Roach appeared amused when asked about Jeff Horn's plan of landing a monster right hand on Manny Pacquiao in their July 2 bout – the same kind of punch that Juan Manuel Marquez used to knock out the "Pacman" back in December 2012.
"The Marquez knockout has been our main point," Horn said ahead of his showdown against the Filipino star, which marks his first time to fight for a world title.
"Marquez fought Pacquiao the best that anyone has fought Pacquiao. So he's someone that we have looked at a lot, and to land the same punch that Marquez did in the fight – the big overhand right – that's definitely what we're looking for," he added.
Roach was in Pacquiao's corner when Marquez connected on that stunning right hand counter that sent the Filipino star falling face first to the canvas with just one second to go in the sixth round.
It marked the only time that a Pacquiao-Marquez bout had a definitive result as their previous three fights all ended in inconclusive decisions.
But Roach doubts that Horn has it in him to land a Marquez-like punch, even if the Australian does have a strong right hand.
"Well, you know, he's not Marquez, and he never will be," Roach said bluntly.
The only way that Horn can land a blow like that is if Pacquiao makes a mistake, the way he did against Marquez.
"If Manny steps on his foot and slips over a little bit and makes a mistake like that, he'll have Marquez all over again," said Roach. "But I don't see that happening."
"I don't know if we can compare Horn and Marquez," the trainer stressed. "Marquez is a great fighter, and Horn, he's a young kind coming up. We'll see."
But Roach stressed that Pacquiao is not in any way underestimating Horn, especially as the trainer believes that the Australian has "nothing to lose."
"He is in a very good situation," Roach said of Horn. "He can go out there and maybe get lucky, you never know. But we're not underestimating him – we're 100% ready for him."
"I don't think he'll beat Manny, but the thing is, he's in a very good position to help himself and help his country," he added.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
