Australian Jeff Horn has done the unthinkable by beating 11-time world champions Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium, winning by unanimous decision.
Both fighters took part in what has been described as a war by boxing enthusiasts with both men covered in blood by the end of the fight.
Horn took the fight 117-111, 115-113, 115-113.
“This is not the best moment of my life,” Horn said.
“That is yet to come with my beautiful wife. She’s pregnant. Thank you for your love and support.”
Pacquiao copped the decision on the chin.
“That’s the decision of the judges,” Pacquiao said. “I respect that.
“He was very tough. It’s ok. Part of the game.”
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach tipped on the morning of the fight that Horn wouldn’t last three rounds.
But intent on silencing his doubters and making a name for himself in front of a television audience in the tens of millions, Horn went the full 12-round distance with one of the greatest boxers of the era and came out on top.
Confounding predictions he would be chewed up and spat out by the 11-time, eight-division world champion, Horn came out firing and gave his opponent plenty of cause for concern from the very first round.
Both fighters had their moments and traded turns as the aggressor and while Pacquiao may have landed more hits, Horn, 29, never stopped coming.
The defeat is Pacquiao’s first since losing to Mayweather in their 2015 mega clash in Las Vegas, taking his career record to 59-7-2 (38 knockouts).
After a relatively subdued build-up, both sides dispensed with the niceties in the hours before the fight as bickering broke out over what hand wraps were permitted.
Roach objected to Horn’s use of brown wrapping tape and reportedly told Main Event presenter Ben Damon that he’d “never met such f***** disrespectful people in boxing. Manny knows about it and they’re gonna pay.”
Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton suggested Roach looked “rattled” but agreed to use white tape to ensure there were no further problems.
9News Australia
Read more
