Boxing’s top promoter Bob Arum reckons Jeff Horn has a genuine chance of upsetting Filipino great Manny Pacquiao when they fight in Brisbane on July 2.
Pacquiao and Horn crossed paths for the first time at Wednesday’s press conference at Suncorp Stadium, the venue where Arum believes the undefeated Australian welterweight can etch his name in to boxing history.
“The young lion waits until the old lion gets old and then challenges him for supremacy. That’s life,” Arum told reporters.
“This fight certainly has that theme.
“The veteran gets old overnight in the ring and the young guy comes on and is able to win.
“I’m not saying it’s going to happen in this fight but that is not surprising in boxing.
“It’s not surprising any place.”
Pacquiao, for his part, remains confident there will be no changing of the guard in the WBO welterweight world title bout.
The 38-year-old, who admitted he had never heard of Horn when he was mooted as an opponent earlier this year, is motivated by suggestions he is past his best and believes he’ll be too quick and too wily.
Pacquiao has also – finally – reviewed some footage of former schoolteacher Horn in action and said he liked what he saw.
“I want an opponent that wants to fight toe-to-toe, throwing a lot of punches, aggressive,” Pacquiao, who has a 59-6-2 record and juggles his boxing career with his role as a senator in the Philippines, said.
“My style is to throw a lot of punches and I believe that will be very effective for Jeff Horn’s style.
“That’s why I accepted this fight.
“But my concern is not only myself, but for the fans – that they will enjoy and be happy for the fight.”
Ticket pre-sales have been strong, with a genuine possibility Suncorp could be packed out to its 55,000-strong capacity for one of the biggest fights ever staged in Australia.
That could be a record for Pacquiao as well, topping the 50,994 who watched him at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas nearly seven years ago.
Horn (16-0-1) didn’t think the bout would come to fruition after Pacquiao’s camp initially pursued a big-money fight against Amir Khan in the United Arab Emirates, which never eventuated.
“I just said ‘hello’ to him – just like I would anyone else,” Horn said.
“To see in his eye, to hear him talk about fighting me, it makes it all come to life.
“I can stop pinching myself now – it’s real.”
