Boxers Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines (second left) and Jeff Horn of Australia (second right) in Brisbane
Manny Pacquiao kept a low profile, apparently at the insistence of local police, leaving opponent Jeff Horn to entertain a bigger crowd at his downtown practice session than he’s attracted for previous fights.
Pacquiao, the 11-time world champion, is putting his WBO welterweight world title belt on the line on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium, where he’s a hot favorite to register his 60th professional win.
On a previous visit to promote the “Battle of Brisbane,” Pacquiao was mobbed by adoring fans in an unexpected rush at an impromptu public appearance.
So local organizers said they took advice from Queensland state police to give the senator from the Philippines time off from promotional activities yesterday while Horn appeared for a light practice session in a makeshift ring near the Queens Street Mall, reveling in the attention of hundreds of spectators enjoying a sunny lunch break.
“For safety purposes, Manny won’t be here today,” Duco Events director Dean Lonergan said. “We took that on advice from Queensland police.”
Pacquiao’s camp got his point across to local fans on Wednesday, anyway, when his legendary long-time trainer Freddie Roach predicted the fight would be “short and sweet” and that somebody would get knocked out.
Pacquiao (59-6-2) had the last of his 38 knockout wins in 2009, but he said he’s been working harder in preparation for this fight than he has in years. He has knocked down sparring partners, Roach said, and had to be forced to stop in some sessions because he was working too much.
Horn’s promotors have accused Pacquiao’s backers of not taking the fight seriously enough, accusing the 38-year-old Filipino of already talking about a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather and of being disrespectful during a news conference by texting on his cell phone.
But Pacquiao is used to the pre-match games, and says he likes nothing better than to take on an opponent on their home soil and in front of a big crowd.
They’ll have that for the afternoon, outdoor fight. Lonergan said more than 47,000 tickets had already been sold — already almost 10,000 more than the Australian record for boxing — and they were on track to top 50,000.
The odds-makers aren’t giving Horn, a 29-year-old former schoolteacher who is unbeaten in 17 professional fights, much of a chance against a seasoned, eight-division world champion. AP
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