Photo Credit-Chris Hyde, Getty Images
In order for a live dog to win in boxing, they must be mean and nasty and willing to win at any cost.
On Sunday afternoon in Brisbane, Australia, Jeff Horn (17-0-1 11 KO) was a junk yard dog in defeating future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs), by unanimous decision, 115-113 X2 and a What The Hell Fight Were You Watching score of 117-111.
The new champion brought the fight to the Pac Man early and often showing no respect for his elder. Horn is awkward and it took Pacquiao a few rounds to get his timing down.
In the 3rd, Pacquiao began to find his range but Horn made all of the ensuing rounds close with his awkward aggressiveness. Horn would hold and hit anything he could while in the clinch.
Horn was visibly the bigger man and used his length well when he had to. He looked to rough up Pacquiao on the ropes every chance he got and obliged the former WBO champion in toe to toe exchanges.
Pacquiao got cut on both sides of his hairline from head butts and returned the favor by brusing, swelling, and bloodying Horn’s face.
Pacquiao had arguably his best round in the 9th where he pummeled Horn from pillar to post in true Pacquiao fashion. In between rounds, the referee told Horn and his corner that he would give Horn an opportunity to show something in the next round or he would stop the fight.
The 38 year old Pacquiao was visibly weary in the tenth from his ninth round effort allowing Horn to work his way back into the good graces of the referee over the next two rounds.
There was a bit of controversy after the scores were read and for good reason. Pacquiao outlanded Horn and arguably could have had at least one 10-8 round. Horn was aggressive but most of the effort wasn’t effective aggression which boxing is scored on.
Horn was rough and tough, landed some good punches but again, questionable if it was enough to take the title.
Maybe it was that he did better than most would have thought, outperformed expectations? The judges probably scored the close rounds for Horn because a less than dominating Pacquiao made it seem so.
Standing-8 didn’t score the fight, but although very close, believed Pacquiao had done enough to retain his title. We’re going to have to go back and score this one, update to follow.
It wasn’t a robbery, close yes, but the 117-111 score notwithstanding, the 115-113 scores for Horn (or had it gone the other way for that matter) were not outrageous in a fight with very close rounds.
The word “robbery” once again rears its ugly head in the squared circle. A shame really after a competitive, tough, close fight.
Standing-8 