Tag Archives: australia

Posted on 09/07/2018

By: Ste Rowen

This Saturday is packed with a number of intriguing matchups across the world, starting in Australia with the ‘Battle on the Goldfields 3’ card, headlined by exciting prospect, Andrew Moloney vs. former world champion, Luis Concepcion in a scheduled superfly 10-round bout.

‘Monster’ Moloney, 17-0 (10KOs), the current commonwealth super-flyweight champion, has been making moves since his 2014 debut. Though yet to fight outside of Australia professionally, the 2014 commonwealth gold medallist has picked up the OPBF, formerly held by the likes of Kohei Kono and Takuma Inoue; the WBA ‘Oceania’ and of course, the rainbow, Commonwealth title. And though he’s hit the canvas more than once, his unblemished record so far shows the grit the Australian will need in future fights.

Photo Credit: Andrew Moloney Twitter Account

Last time out, Andrew rose from the canvas to earn a 10-round unanimous decision over Filipino, Richard Claveras – a man who was then stopped inside 4 rounds two months later by Sho Ishida.
Speaking to ‘news.com.au’, Moloney is keen to impress this time out in a real step up of opposition,

‘‘Concepcion applies a lot of pressure on his opponents and throws a lot of punches…I need to be extremely fit for this fight and that is why I am training so hard.’’

‘‘I want to show everyone what level I’m at by beating Luis Concepcion and then we will set our sights on Kal Yafai…I have done my apprenticeship and I’m now ready to take on the best in my division.’’

His opponent on Saturday, Concepcion, 37-6 (26KOs), is just three fights removed from his 2016 loss to Kal Yafai for the vacant WBA super-fly strap, a belt the Panamanian held briefly, earlier that same year.

Since then, former ‘interim’ WBA flyweight titlist has scored two 2nd round KO’s over limited opposition in, Luis de la Rosa of Colombia and 17-9-1 (15KOs), Luis Carillo; either side of a 2017 unanimous decision loss to then, 12-2-2 (5KOs), Iran Diaz.

But despite the underwhelming run of fights since his last attempt at world honours, ‘El Nica’ is ready to re-establish himself as one of the world’s best 115lbers,

‘‘Fighting inside and out, we have things clear…I’m motivated to win the fight and seek to crown myself again.’’
‘‘I’m sure of the work we are doing to get out with the hand up.’’

Moloney has yet to step into the ring with a fighter of the calibre of Concepcion and the Panamanian’s erratic pressure style and wild power punches when he gets a sniff of blood, will certainly provide the perfect gateway fight to potential title bouts.
But if ‘The Monster’ is as good as he believes, and fights with the same confidence he’s displayed in his previous 17 bouts, Andrew will take great faith in the way the current WBA champion, Yafai handily dealt with ‘El Nica’ two years ago.

Also, on Saturday’s Bendigo card is, son of Kostya Tszyu, Tim, who, in his last outing just over a month ago, took less than two minutes to bizarrely knock out journeyman, Stevie Ongen Ferdinandus. The junior middleweight, 10-0 (8KOS), comes up against Marco Jesus Cornejo of Argentina in another scheduled 10 rounds.

Cornejo, 19-3 (18KOs), has fought and lost, twice already in 2018, dropping an 8-round decision to unbeaten fighters, Damian Jonk in April and then a subsequent 3rd round KO from Christian Mbilli a month later.

‘‘It’s been a very busy fight schedule, but that’s Timmy.’’ Tszyu’s manager, Billy Jennings told the ‘Bendigo Advertiser’. ‘‘One of the difficulties now is, with 10 fights for 10 wins, finding opponents.’’

‘‘When you look at Tim in what he represents in Australian boxing, he’s the marketers dream. He comes from a legendary family, he’s 10-0, clean-shaven, articulate and proud to be a fighter.’’

Northern Irish amateur standout, Conor Wallace will make his professional debut, taking on 19-71-4 (7KOs), Aswin Cabuy. The 21-year-old southpaw was unexpectedly deselected for the Commonwealth games earlier this year, which accelerated his intentions to turn pro. His Indonesian opponent on Saturday, Cabuy is a journeyman whose last victory came via DQ in 2016 against an 11-1, Andrew Green.

Posted on 09/01/2017

By: Sean Crose

In what has proven to be a stellar year for the sport of boxing, many fans of the sweet science were hoping Manny Pacquiao would help wrap things up in style via a November rematch with Jeff Horn, who bested Pacquiao by extremely controversial decision last summer. That, however, doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. The highly anticipated fall throwdown is a no-go due to the fact that Pacquiao, a Filipino senator, will be unable to push his governmental duties aside long enough to get the fight in. Rather than fighting Horn on November 12th, the planned rematch date, Pacquiao will be among other Filipino delegates visiting China.

Horn was a widely unknown, yet undefeated, Aussie welterweight when he met Pacquiao in his homeland early last July. Surprising many with his performance, the gritty – some would say dirty – Horn, stunned the world by winning Pacquiao’s WBO world welterweight title with what many believe was a hometown decision. Pacquiao, however, is at the point in his career where another controversial loss (he was stunned by the judges in his first go round with Tim Bradley back in 2012) won’t much impact his reputation or monetary potential.

Still, the lack of a rematch smacks of unfinished business. Pacquiao, however, is said to wish to rematch Horn next year. Whether a second battle between the two men is feasible or not remains to be seen. It would most certainly be lucrative, however, if it took place in Australia, as the first fight did. For Pacquiao-Horn went down in front of 50,000 fans in Brisbane and was a big ratings hit for ESPN, which broadcast the event live on Fourth of July weekend. Pacquiao, who is no longer the pay per view star he once was, couldn’t have asked for more (except, of course, a win).

In the meantime, however, Horn may face a foe far less popular than Pacquiao. Indeed, word is out that the new champion may make his first defense against former Pacquiao victim Jessie Vargas, who Pacquiao easily bested last year.

Although Horn-Vargas might prove to be an interesting fight, it doesn’t have the built in appeal that a rematch with Pacquiao would. The Filipino legend is an international celebrity, after all. And, as last week’s Mayweather-McGregor fight proved, name value alone can greatly elevate a fight in the public consciousness. Pacquiao, however, is obviously on the downside of his illustrious career. He didn’t look particularly impressive against Horn, no matter how one felt about the decision, and it seems time is assuring his days in the ring are winding down. The clock may be ticking.

Posted on 07/06/2017

Deception from Down Under; A Conspiracy Theorist’s Guide
By: Kirk Jackson

Here we go again…

Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao 59-7-2 (38 KO’s) apparently attracts controversy; this time in the form of losing another disputed decision – to relatively unknown, teacher/boxer Jeff “The Hornet” Horn 17-0-1 (11 KO’s).

To be fair, Pacquiao has his share of debatablevictories as well. How about we ask Juan Manuel Marquez about the decisions regarding three of their four fights?

This recent uproar certainly created waves within the world of sports. Reactions from fellow boxers like former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, other athletes such as Kobe Bryant, boxing analysts and experts such at ESPN’s
Teddy Atlas, the collective sentiment is shock.

Wow! PAC loses by UD? One judge had it 117-111? ? Wasn't the fight that I saw!

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) July 2, 2017

What do the Boxing Gods have against Pacquiao?

Perhaps the Boxing Gods still hold Pacquiao in good favor and the outcome resulted from the return of the puppet master, ensuring his key piece lacks leverage and remains at his mercy.

The puppet master is none other than the president of Top Rank Promotions Bob Arum. Dating back a decade now, Pacquiao served as his key marionette.

The main money generator of Top Rank in wake of the departures of Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao featured and excelled in Top Rank’s biggest events, generating millions in the process.

Serving as Arum’s puppet is not without perks however. Large pay purses, favorable marketing from Time Warner, HBO, ESPN and other media outlets due to Arum’s long-standing influences.

Everything comes with a price however. For Pacquiao, it’s the lack of liberty and control.

Remember the last time Pacquiao was in a position to re-up his contract as his current deal was coming to an end?

During this phase of time, he was scheduled to duel Timothy Bradley for their first of what would be three fights beginning in 2012.

Leading up into their first encounter, there was a question if Pacquiao would resign with Arum and Top Rank, if he would test the waters elsewhere, or if he would retire.

Many observers believed Pacquiao won the fight against Bradley, however Bradley was awarded the decision.

From a conspiracy theorist’s perspective, this may have been a power move from Arum, to keep Pacquiao in check and to let him know who holds the power.

The fight against Horn was the last fight due on his current five fight deal with Top Rank.

Do you think we’ve seen the last of Pacquiao vs. Horn? We’re going to see the pairing two more times.

Four fights were squeezed out of Pacquiao and Marquez, while three fights were squeezed out of Pacquiao and Bradley in recent years.

Undoubtedly Pacquiao will resign with Top Rank – to exact revenge against Horn, continue his farewell “World Tour,” and to carry on fighting at someone else’s leisure.

He will continue to fight till they no longer have use for him.

Rumors of Pacquiao in financial debt, some of the issues VisionQwest uncovered many years ago did not go away. The root of the problem always remained; financial instability, mismanagement of funds, along with wolves seizing advantage of opportunities.

“Boxing is my main source of income. I can’t rely on my salary as a public official,” explained Pacquiao after announcing his return to boxing last year.

“I’m helping the family of my wife and my own family, as well. Many people also come to me to ask for help and I just couldn’t ignore them.”

With the capacity to earn money, comes great responsibility and a legion of persons seeking to take advantage of the benefactor.

People take advantage of Pacquiao’s generosity and it placed him in an unfortunate predicament. A position in which he must continue to fight to earn a living despite previous accomplishments and prize money earned in the past.

It’s truly unfortunate to see fighters forced to fight when it’s obvious their best years are far in the rearview.

In the past, Pacquiao hired the firm of VisionQwest Resource Group, Inc. and VisionQwest Accountancy Group out of Los Angeles, California, to handle all accounting, personal tax, business tax, audits and examinations, as well as all contract reviews.

Turns out tax business operator Michael Cabuhat was arrested in 2015 for defrauding customers through VisionQwest.

Under an alleged scheme that Cabuhat ran from 2010 through 2015, he allegedly stole over a million dollars in refunds that should have gone to clients.

Charges include fraud, aggravated identity theft and structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. Pacquiao unfortunately, was one of Cabuhat’s victims.

Pacquiao hired a company to fix an issue and it turns out the company he hired further exploited the problem.

Financial woes, familiarity and reassurance led to a firm grasp of control from Arum. Control enables power moves.
Arum publicly talked down on Pacquiao in recent years and not always displayed public verbal support in light of a few controversial issues

Dating back to the beginning of the decade, Arum exerted his control over Pacquiao and most of the boxing landscape.

The eight-division champion was pitted against Top Rank stable mates; Bradley, Marquez, Joshua Clottey, ShaneMosley (temporary Top Rank fighter), Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri.

Not only were the match-ups controlled but so was the money flow – being as these were all Top Rank fights. It’s partially the reason why we never saw some of the other matches many fans hoped for.

It’s why we didn’t see Pacquiao vs. Mayweather until it was past the expiration date.

It’s why Pacquiao vs. Paul Williams never occurred, or Pacquiao vs. Amir Khan, Humberto Soto, Joan Guzman, Juan Diaz, etc.

The same is occurring yet again. Do you think we’ll see Pacquiao against the other top welterweights during his “World Tour?”

WBA and WBC unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman, IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence, are managed by Al Haymon and under different promotional companies.

Terence Crawford is a name teased for years regarding a potential pairing with the ‘Pac-Man.’ Even though Crawford is a fellow Top Rank stable mate, it seems unlikely we’ll see the two in the ring.

Just like we probably won’t see Pacquiao vs. Thurman, Spence or Danny Garcia. It will be Jeff Horn a few more times. We’ll see what ever makes sense for Top Rank.

It’s important to point out, there isn’t necessarily a mandate for Pacquiao to fight anyone; his legacy is already cemented and there isn’t much that can change it.

But the observation of note is he does not have a choice on whom and when he fights.

From a conspiracy theorist’s lenses, the recent decision in the Pacquiao vs. Horn verdict was an extension of control and to ensure regulation of the type of match-ups that are made. Strings pulled.

Posted on 07/04/2017

So Much For Boxing Being Dead: Pacquiao-Horn A Ratings Hit
By: Sean Crose

What’s in a name? If that name is Manny Pacquiao, almost four and a half million sets of eyeballs. ESPNs broadcast of the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn welterweight title fight in Australia peaked at 4.4 million viewers on Saturday (with an average viewership of 3.1 million) making this past weekend’s stunning upset an impressive debut for Top Rank’s partnership with the beleaguered sports network. Reports of boxing’s demise, which have been going on since, oh, 1892, have once again proven to be greatly exaggerated.

The four fight card, which ran quite late on the east coast, was highlighted by the biggest upset the sport has seen in years. To make matters even more bombastic, the decision, which favored Horn over the legendary Filipino warrior, was highly controversial. This might have, on the surface of things, appeared bad for Top Rank and ESPN, but it electrified Twitter and casual sports fans who rarely tune in to boxing cards. Network notables like Teddy Atlas and Stephen A Smith were vocally horrified while stars like Kobe Bryant and Samuel L Jackson tweeted their displeasure. Rather than a boring debut, the card became “a thing.”

ESPN and Top Rank are preparing to give fans a lot more high level boxing in the future. Ukrainian wunderkind Vasyl Lomachenko will be headlining a card in August while dominant junior welterweight titlist Bud Crawford will find himself in a title eliminator a few weeks later. Throw in a possible Pacquiao-Horn rematch and what might be the ring return of Tim Bradley (who was part of Saturday’s broadcast team) and it’s clear big names are headed to basic cable.

Top Rank chief Arum parted ways with long standing partner HBO recently when it became clear that Arum could no longer air the fights he wanted the way he wanted to on the network. With that in mind, he took his business away from pay cable and over to ESPN, which has been having troubles of it’s own lately, with a decrease in subscriptions and a diminished reputation. Arum needed a network. ESPN needed something fresh. The rest is history – or at least the beginning of a partnership which will hopefully prove fruitful to all involved – especially the fans.

As long as Arum and ESPN continue to give the public what it likes, all should go well. Remember that this is boxing, however, and judges’ cards aren’t the only things that often get screwed up before our very eyes.

Posted on 07/03/2017

Manny Pacquiao Reached for Cherries and was Poked by a Horn
By: Kirk Jackson

Shockwaves were sent throughout the boxing world once again when Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao 59-7-2 (38 KO’s) lost a stunning, controversial decision to relatively unknown challenger Jeff “The Hornet” Horn 17-0-1 (11 KO’s) last weekend.

Many viewers, including the commentary team of ESPN headed by Teddy Atlas, Joe Tessitore, Timothy Bradley and Stephen A. Smith were baffled upon the announcement of Horn’s victory and openly questioned the validity of the decision.

A few other celebrities chimed in as well.

#PacquiaoHorn pic.twitter.com/i1oqnD74Q2

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) July 2, 2017

While the decision remains controversial, what’s more shocking is how the actual fight manifested.

The score of 117-111 in favor of Horn is repulsive, even a unanimous decision for either fighter is questionable.

The tally of that score would not be reflective of the performance from either fighter to be frank. However, the score of 115-113 can be considered accurate and indicative of the battle in Brisbane.

Despite the one-sided commentary and erroneous if not questionable CompuBox numbers, Horn made the fight ugly and highly competitive.

As commentator Tim Bradley pointed out, if the fight is close, the score may benefit the hometown fighter.

Some viewers may argue the CompuBox numbers were so one-sided, there’s no way a decision could be scored for Horn.

CompuBox is the name of a computerized scoring system run by two operators.

CompuBox is used in professional boxing matches across the world and serves as a statistical aid for observers at home watching the fights.

Concerns revolving around the accuracy of CompuBox numbers are another issue. What they claim to do (precisely tally punches thrown and landed from each fighter) is nearly impossible in real time.

CompuBox is essentially two guys hitting a button when they think a punch landed and hitting a button when they think a punch was thrown.

That itself is inaccurate with so many variations of punches that can be thrown. Does CompuBox tell the distinction between jabs for example?

Jabs can be utilized as a pitty-pat distraction or be used to set up a follow up power punch, or can be used as a power jab.

There are some punch counts that can’t be defended in any way when you analyze the actual round and it should not be utilized when scoring a round.

If the accuracy stats were computed after the fight, with the possibility to slow down and replay exchanges, then it might work. But during the fight there’s no way you can identify and track landed shots consistently.

Many Pacquiao supporters complained of CompuBox’s inaccuracy in the aftermath of Pacquiao’s fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2015.

Regarding the Pacquiao vs. Horn fight, it was indeed foul-infested; numerous incidental head-butts and head-clashing, holding and hitting from Horn, head-locks and other WWE inspired holds, elbows, anything Horn could muster.

And for his part, Pacquiao played right into his hands.

There was one constant issue Atlas failed to mention throughout the telecast. The managing of real estate, or for better terms – the controlling of distance.

Pacquiao couldn’t maintain the space he needed to effectively get his shots off and he was outworked and out-hustled by the younger Horn.

As the well-seasoned veteran with over 60 fights, Pacquiao failed to capitalize on the obvious and constant mistakes from Horn, the challenger with less than 20 fights.

Horn reliably lunged in and leaned in with his head and upper-body whenever he attacked; therefore telegraphing most of his punches. It’s mind boggling how someone with such superior speed, mobility and experience (Pacquiao) could not capitalize on these recognizable errors.

Pacquiao is capable of landing right-check hooks; he landed one of those punches on Floyd Mayweather a few years back in their fight. Where was the pivoting and stepping to the side from Pacquiao?

As far as punch accuracy, Pacquiao consistently hit air. Pacquiao certainly had his moments; in the fourth round, sprinkling clean shots here and there throughout the course of the bout and the ninth round was as dominant a round we’ve witnessed in years from the Pac-man.

It took Pacquiao a few rounds to get warmed up, as he really didn’t start finding his mark until the fourth round or so and with the exception of round nine, Pacquiao looked gassed towards the end of the fight.

We can attribute the inaccuracy and conditioning issues to old age, as Pacquiao is set to turn 39 later this year, or we can attribute this performance Horn’s awkwardness and ruggedness, or Pacquiao’s cold.

Apparently the Filipino congressmen battled a cold leading up to the fight. I believe he also battled a cold, along with experiencing the trauma of blood testing in his first encounter with Erik Morales which also resulted in a loss.

Colds, cramps, blood-testing and injured shoulders always appear to derail Pacquiao at some point it seems.

No matter how we dissect the fight and the results of the fight, controversy and everything that surrounds it, this is a classic example of cherry-picking gone wrong.

Leading up to the fight, measuring each fighter’s performances, Pacquiao possessed the clear edge on paper.

Hand-speed, foot-speed, punching power, mobility, punch accuracy, experience, chin, the only metrics and intangibles that were debatable were stamina and heart.

And Pacquiao bested two world champions (Bradley, Jessie Vargas) last year.

Pacquiao’s only blemish in recent years is against Mayweather – who is regarded as the best fighter of his generation.

For a moment, lets ignore the actual result of the contest between Pacquiao and Horn. The fight itself should not have been close or competitive, yet it was.

I personally saw #Manny win the fight. However #Horn deserved nothing but praise. They were hoping for a ? and got a Lion!

— Guillermo Rigondeaux (@RigoElChacal305) July 2, 2017

Apologies to Horn but Pacquiao had no business sharing the ring with a school teacher. Although it appears Professor Horn educated Pacquiao and the viewers with a display of tenacity, true-grit and undying will.

The results set-up a lucrative rematch for Horn and Pacquiao along with a probable change in venue. This also changes the landscape of the welterweight division and pound-for-pound rankings.

Obviously the pound-for-pound rankings vary, but we have to honor the results of the contest and even if there is a dispute regarding the results, the performance from Pacquiao was not pound-for-pound caliber.

Serious question, can anyone envision the newly crowned WBO welterweight champion Horn competing with the likes of current welterweight contenders Bradley or Vargas?

How about former champions – still contenders such as Danny Garcia and Kell Brook?
By: Kirk Jackson

Would Horn stand a chance against current unified WBA and WBC welterweight champion Keith Thurman or current IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence?

Can you picture Horn defeating Terence Crawford or even Adrien Broner?

Heck, Horn may even continue his legends tour and face Mayweather if he can defeat Conor McGregor (sounds weird typing that).

The point is despite his monumental victory, it’d be hard-fetched to find anyone outside of Australia favoring Horn’s chances against any of the aforementioned names.

There’s another legendary fighter from the same era with a fight approaching next month, who may want to take heed to this example.

What’s the moral of the story? Be careful of the cherries you pick.

Posted on 07/03/2017

Five Post Fight Thoughts from Pacquiao vs. Horn
By: William Holmes

A legend in the sport of boxing lost to a man that nobody thought he would lose to on Saturday in Brisbane, Australia.

Manny Pacquiao is a sure fire first ballot hall of famer and is an eight division world champion. Since 2005 almost all of his fights were made available exclusively on Pay Per View. However, many were stunned to see Jeff Horn be named the victor and were left in disbelief. Many, including the announcers on ESPN, strongly felt that Manny was robbed and clearly won the fight.

Is this the end of Pacquiao’s career? What does this mean going forward?

Here are five post fight thoughts from the Pacquiao vs. Horn fight.

1. Pacquiao Was Not Robbed

This may come as a shock to some, but Pacquiao was not robbed. I’m not saying he didn’t win the fight, but you can’t argue with the judges who felt Horn won the fight. Pacquiao didn’t dominate any round with the exception of the ninth, and many, many, rounds were “swing” rounds and could have been scored either way.

Fans have to remember that crowd reaction affects judges and this fight took place in Horn’s home country. Most of the fans in attendance were rooting for their fellow Australian and were reacting positively to every punch that Jeff Horn threw. Yes, judges are supposed to be able to block out the sound and view a fight objectively, but that’s easier said than done and no judge is completely immune to the vocal support that surrounds him.

Fans also have to realize that viewing a fight live is much different than viewing a fight on TV. When you’re watching a fight on TV you can be swayed by the commentary of the announce team and you have a much better view/angle on the action inside the ring than those who are watching the fight in person. Ring side judges do not have the advantage of wide camera angle and often their views are obstructed by the ropes, ring, competitors, and the referee.

Additionally, Jeff Horn pressed the action and was able to dominate the exchanges when they were in tight or when Pacquiao’s back was against the rope. Ring Generalship and effective aggression are two criteria that judges use to judge a fight, and it was clear that Horn was dictating the pace to Pacquiao and never stopped coming forward.

Again, I’m not saying Pacquiao didn’t win the fight, I’m merely stating he wasn’t robbed.

2. CompuBox Stats Are Overrated

Many upset boxing fans point to the CompuBox statistics as evidence that Pacquiao was robbed. They note that Horn only landed 15% of his punches and that Pacquiao landed almost 100 more punches.

However, fight fans have to understand that CompuBox punch totals are done by a person sitting ringside keeping a manual tally. There is nothing scientific or reliable about CompuBox, at best it is an estimation. CompuBox also doesn’t take into consideration the visible effects of the punches landed.

As a general rule punches are more noticeable when a bigger man lands against a smaller man, and Jeff Horn was clearly the bigger man. When his punches landed they visibly moved Pacquiao and many of Pacquiao’s punches were not noticeable to the untrained eye.

3. More Big Fights Need to Happen Outside of Las Vegas

As a fight city, Las Vegas is overrated.

Yes, it’s the gambling capital of the world and very few locations can compete with the purse sizes that Las Vegas provides. But, if you’ve ever gone to a fight in Las Vegas you’d know that most of the fans who attend a big fight in Las Vegas are more concerned with the glitz, glam and celebrity that Las Vegas provides instead of the action in the ring.

I’ve been to Vegas several times for big fights, and a good 95% of the fans in attendance do not show up until a few minutes before the main event starts. Most of the fans at a Las Vegas fight do not know the difference between a jab and a cross and are more concerned with looking good at a big event.

The Pacquiao Horn fight was held in an outdoor stadium in Australia and came across great on television. 50,000+ fans were in attendance, a number that currently can not be reached in Las Vegas. The excitement and anticipation of a fight comes off much better in a big stadium when compared to Las Vegas, and makes it more attractive to the casual sports fan.

The Klitschko vs. Joshua fight was held at Wembley Stadium and was one of the best fights of the year. The crowd was unbelievable and that fight also looked great on television.

The most entertaining fight that this writer ever attended live was when Pacquiao fought Margarito at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium. The venue was a big reason as to why that fight was so entertaining.

Granted, there will still be fight fans who only show up for the main event if a good boxing card were to be held outside of Las Vegas, but the overall experience is much better when it’s held in a stadium.

4. Pacquiao Needs to Drop Down in Weight

Ever since Pacquiao made the jump to the junior welterweight division and higher he has been the smaller man inside the ring. His walk around weight is near the welterweight limit and he often has to fight someone who has cut 10-20 pounds to make the welterweight limit.

When Pacquiao was in his prime his movement and endurance was good enough to run circles around his opponent so that they couldn’t catch him. He’s no longer in his prime and Jeff Horn was able to capitalize on his size advantage and trap Manny on the ropes with effective body work. If Jeff Horn was able to trap Pacquiao imagine what some of the other top welterweights could do to him.

Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr., Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, and even Lucas Matthysse are all opponents that are bigger than Pacquiao and would probably inflict more damage on him than what Horn did on Saturday.

Even though the current version of Pacquiao would still be competitive with most of the welterweights ranked in the top ten, he is risking serious damage to his body and health if he continues to campaign against bigger and stronger opponents when he is pushing 40.

5. An Aged Version of Pacquiao is Still Entertaining

Should Pacquiao retire? That’s a tough question but at the very least it should be discussed amongst him and his team.

But one thing that we learned on Saturday night is that even the faded and aged version of Manny Pacquiao is still exciting in the ring. His fight with Jeff Horn dominated social media and ESPN and has been the talk of the sports world for the past two days.

Fight fans were on the edge of their seat the entire fight and the ninth round was one of the most thrilling rounds of the year.

The ratings support the entertainment value of Pacquiao. ESPN recently released a press release indicating that the fight delivered a 2.4 overnight rating and was the highest rated fight for a cable network this decade. The release also indicated that the Battle of Brisbane was likely to be the highest-rated fight on ESPN’s networks since the mid 1990s.

The current version of Manny Pacquiao may have difficulty reclaiming a world title in the welterweight division, but he still draws eyes to the TV.

Posted on 06/29/2017

Top Rank on ESPN Preview: Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn
By: William Holmes

In rather surprising news in the month of June, Top Rank announced a partnership with ESPN to showcase some of their fighters on the network in live fights. HBO has long been the home for most of Top Rank’s fighters, but this announcement indicates that Top Rank is willing to go elsewhere to televise fights.

Top Rank has decided to showcase their biggest draw, Manny Pacquiao, on ESPN on July 1st live from SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. This will be the first time in over a decade that Manny Pacquiao will not be fighting on PPV.

The undercard will feature several prospects that boxing fans should be keep an eye on. Prospects such as Brock Jarvis, Umar Salamov, Shane Mosley Jr., and Irish Olympian Michael Conlan are all scheduled to compete.

The following is a preview of the WBO World Welterweight Championship match between Jeff Horn and Manny Pacquiao.

Jeff Horn (16-0-1) vs. Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2); WBO Welterweight Championship

Jeff Horn is not very well known in the United States, but he is the mandatory challenger for Manny Pacquiao’s WBO Welterweight Championship. Even though he will be a massive underdog, one can not overlook the fact that he will be fighting in front of his home crowd of Brisbane, Australia and that 60,000 screaming fans can only help him.

Horn has an edge on most of the physical intangibles. He is twenty eight years old and ten years younger than Manny Pacquiao. He will also have a three inch height advantage and a one inch reach advantage. The speed advantage obviously lies with Manny Pacquiao, as does the power advantage. Jeff Horn has eleven stoppages against B level opposition while Pacquiao has stopped thirty eight opponents, including some over the best the sport of boxing has to offer.

Jeff Horn has fought every single fight in his career either in Australia or New Zealand. He’s been very active and fought three times in 2016 and four times in 2015. Four of his first seven opponents had losing records, but despite the fact he’s never faced elite competition every one of his opponents since then has had a winning record.

Horn also has a notable amateur background as he made it to the quarterfinals in the 2012 Summer Olympics while representing Great Britain. Pacquiao, as is well known, was able to make the Philippine National Amateur Team but turned professional at the age of sixteen.

Horn’s most notable victories have come against Ali Funeka, Rico Mueller, Viktor Potnikov, and Randall Bailey. It should be noted that Horn got knocked down by Bailey, but was able to recover and have Bailey quit on the stool during round nine.

Pacquiao seems intent on taking his show around the world and is already looking past this fight to fight in the Philippines in his next bout. Australia will be the sixth country that Pacquiao has competed in.

Pacquiao has defeated the likes of Timothy Bradley Jr., Chris Algieri, Brandon Rios, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, and Lehlo Ledwaba.

His losses were to Timothy Bradley Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Erik Morales, and losses early on in his career to Medgoen Singsurat and Rustico Torrecampo.

Pacquiao is a giant favorite and this is probably why the bout will be taking place on free television instead of pay per view. However, Jeff Horn has a better chance of beating Pacquiao than McGregor has at beating Mayweather.

Additionally, Pacquiao is thirty eight years old and has been in some brutal wars inside the ring. A boxer can age overnight and that age often shows against an opponent that nobody expects to win.

Posted on 06/27/2017

Pacquiao Lands in Oz
By: Matthew N. Becher

​It is Manny Pacquiao fight week, and so much has changed for the once best, pound for pound fighter in the world. First he did not make his grand entrance at a ritzy hotel lobby on the Vegas strip, but instead landed in Brisbane, Australia.

Photo Credit: Top Rank

He then did not do a huge media press conference, but instead made sure to head to a local church for services. As he told the local Australian Broadcasting Corp, “This (religion) is my main priority more than anything… Sunday is a worship day”. Gone are the days of wild Manny Pacquiao, flanked by HBO cameras and fans, his small dog “Pac-Man”, completely covered in Nike apparel.

​This fight will take place in front of 50,000 plus fans at the SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane and will be televised for free in America on ESPN. The first time in 12 years that Pacquiao has not fought on a premium or Pay per View channel.
​Pacquiao will be defending his WBO welterweight title for the first time since winning it last November, by defeating Jessie Vargas. He will also be competing for his 60th career win as a professional.

​His opponent is Australia’s own Jeff Horn. Horn has never been involved in a fight of this magnitude and will be a huge underdog against one of the best fighters of the last 20 years. Horn doesn’t seem to mind, “Where I’ve fought before has been in a small location, so the crowd seems louder than it is — kind of echoes in the room,” he said. “But to be in a stadium like Suncorp, the Cauldron, who knows. I’ve never been in a situation like that. The more pressure that’s on me for a fight, the better I perform.”

​Horn has also explained that he plans on Knocking out the Congressman of the Philippines, in a similar fashion that Juan Manuel Marquez did in their final fight. As told to Fight Hype, “The Marquez knockout has definitely been probably our main point,” said Horn,”Marquez has fought Pacquiao brilliant, probably the best anyone has fought Pacquiao, so he’s someone that we have looked at a lot to land the same punch that Marquez did in the fight which is that big overhand right – that’s definitely what we’ll be looking for.”
​ This is all a good idea for Horn, but that was a long time ago, by a fighter that is a Hall of Famer (Marquez). Pacquiao’s long time trainer Freddy Roach, has also stated that he will be looking to end his streak of 8 years without a stoppage against Horn, ““I don’t know, he’s a tough guy from Australia,” said Roach to The Inquirer. “But that’s really up to Manny, Manny can knock him out whenever he wants in my opinion. We’re getting closer, we’re getting close [to getting a knockout win].”

​This is not the biggest fight in the world at the moment, or a big fight for the titlist Manny Pacquiao. It is a chance to see how good Manny still is, and if he will continue on the path to fighting other top Welterweights or if he is truly on a worldwide retirement tour. We will find out this Saturday night what the Pride of the Philippines has left at 38 years old.

Posted on 06/06/2017

Chayaphon Moonsri goes to 47-0 defeating Omari Kimweri!
By: Ken Hissner

WBC Minimumweight champion Chayaphon Moonsri, of Thailand, improved his record to 47-0 (17), defeating No. 4 contender Omari “Lion Boy” Kimweri, 16-4 (6), from Tanzania fighting out of Australia over 12 rounds.

Moonsri received a cut on his left eye lid in the first round which referee Bruce McTavish deducted a point from Kimweri. It was the seventh title defense for the champion and the second in 2017 along with a non-title win. 17 of his 47 wins were against opponents without winning records.

Scores were 117-110 and 118-109 twice. The bout was on June 3rd at the Provincial Stadium, Rayong, Thailand.
Moonsri continues to approach the 49-0 record held by Rocky Marciano and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Posted on 04/05/2017

Pacquiao signs to fight Jeff Horn this summer
By: Matthew N. Becher

​It has been a wild couple of months trying to keep up with who and where WBO welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao would be fighting next, but today he signed on the dotted line, to take on his mandatory challenger, Jeff Horn (16-0-1 11KO).

​Bob Arum, announced today to the LA Times, that not all the details were finalized, but that Pacquiao did indeed sign to fight Horn.

“We’re slowly finishing up the deal to fight,” Arum was quoted as saying.

“People have agreed on essential points.”
“We’re dealing with an Australian promoter, the state government,” he said. “Here, in this case, you’ve got to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing.”

​The fight which is slated to take place at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, is predicted to hold more than 50,000 fans and will become one of the largest sporting events to ever take place in the Country of Australia.

​This was confirmed also by Manny’s manager Michael Koncz, as told to the Agence France-Presse,

“We signed the Jeff Horn contract this Morning. Fight is July 2nd in Brisbane, Australia”

​This fight comes on the heels of Pacquiao and Koncz trying to make a deal, without Top Ranks Arum, to take on England’s Amir Khan in a $38 million dollar mega fight, which was supposed to take place in the UAE. The deal fell apart when neither party could figure out where the money was actually coming from.

​Arum has been trying to tap new markets for his fighters, especially Pacquiao, who he had fight in Macau and now in Australia, which sports a very large Asian and Philippine population.

Posted on 01/11/2017

Report: Pacquiao To Face Horn In April
By: Sean Crose

Credit ESPNs Dan Rafael with breaking the news:

Manny Pacquiao will be defending his WBO world welterweight title against Jeff Horn on April 22nd . Rafael reports that the sight of the fight is unknown, but Horn’s native Australia is a distinct possibility (as is Dubai). Other outlets, however, are reporting that the bout will definitely be held in Australia. FOX SPORTS Australia, for instance, has referred to the yet-to-be-announced match as “the biggest fight in Australian history.” Historians may beg to differ, as Australia is where the legendary Jack Johnson wrested the heavyweight title from Tommy Burns over a hundred years ago. The point, however, is clear: the fight will be a big deal in the land down under should it in fact, be fought there.

Horn, a little known commodity in the United States, is undefeated at 17-0 and is ranked number two by the WBO at welterweight, behind old Pacquiao foe Tim Bradley. That means he’s far from a tomato can despite his lack of popularity. Still, Horn isn’t an opponent fans have been clamoring for Pacquiao to face. That honor would go to one Terrence Crawford, the junior welterweight maestro who many feel stands a good chance of besting the guy called PacMan. While the Horn fight might be a big deal in Pacquiao’s homeland of the Philippines and in Australia itself, it’s hard to view the affair as a megafight of global proportions.

Pacquiao’s last bout, against Jessie Vargas, was far from pay per view gold, after all, and it’s hard to imagine a fight against Horn doing much better – if, of course, it appears in America via pay per view. If the fight were to appear on say, HBO or Showtime, however, it’s easy to see the ratings being huge indeed. Pacquiao, after all, is still one of the biggest names in the sport. With HBO spending far less than it used to on boxing these days, however, it will be interesting to see where the bout ends up.

Life is now more hectic than ever for Pacquiao. Besides being one the most well paid and famous athletes on earth, he’s also a member of the Filipino Senate, a position which takes up much of the man’s time. It’s clear the gentleman still loves to fight, though, or at least loves the money he earns from the ring, for he continues on with his career, even though he’s now pushing forty years of age. It’s worth noting, however, that Pacquaio is still a top level fighter – and that Horn will most likely have his hands full come this spring.