The saddest thing in boxing is seeing an aging legend like Manny Pacquiao get robbed before our eyes and used as a stepping stone for a younger fighter with limited skill like Jeff Horn.
Manny Pacquiao is nearing 40 years old, and his best days are long behind him. He is the greatest offensive dynamo of our era, climbing several weight divisions and running through opponents like bull in a china shop with rapid fire punches and endless stamina. Evidence of his decline showed drastically against young unbeaten Australian slugger Jeff Horn.
The Pacquiao vs. Horn fight aired live on ESPN in July of 2017, it took place at the Suncorp Stadium in Australia in front of a pro Horn crowd of about 50 thousand. The fight was filled with drama, Horn fought extremely dirty, head locking, head butting, using a forearm, elbow, you name it he did it and got away with it no hard warnings or point deduction at all from the ref.
Pacquiao went into the fight as the Superstar WBO welterweight champion, yet he had to go to the challengers backyard to fight him. Watching the fight you could tell something was not right, it seems it was a set up to pass the torch, everything was shady and I was so glad that Teddy Atlas voiced his honest opinion about the blatant robbery and the disrespect of Manny Pacquiao. Atlas showed disgust as the referee let Horn fight dirty with no warnings, and even told Horn in the post fight interview that he felt he lost the fight.
It’s a shame that Horn who was the younger, bigger man had to resort to such dirty unsportsmanlike tactics in the fight. The two head butts that left Manny with blood dripping from both sides of his head should have been point deductions. The constant choking and weighing on the head, and forearm to the neck and face, this guy should fight in the UFC against Conor McGregor instead because that’s what it looked like.
Before the decision was announced Twitter and Facebook was buzzing about how exciting the fight was, but once the decision was announced it left them with a sour taste in their mouth, and upset with boxing once again.
If I were Manny Pacquiao, I would not go ahead with the rematch. He has to fight in opposing territory again, with the cards stacked against him. All Manny will get from this fight is more physical damage, he might even get knocked out this time or badly injured from the dirty tactics of Horn. Age waits for no man, and Pacquiao already solidified his legacy a rematch with Horn only benefits Horn, Bob Arum and the government of Australia.
