Breaking: Pacquiao-Horn Is Officially Set For July
By: Sean Crose
“It’s official: @mannypacquiao will fight @jeffhornboxer in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, July 1st. Stay tuned for more info.”
The above tweet appeared Monday on Top Ranks’ Twitter page. Indeed, it is official: Legendary fighter Manny Pacquiao will be facing the little known Jeff Horn this coming summer. There was talk for a while that Pacquiao would face Amir Khan in a superbout of sorts in the United Arab Emirates, but it was simply not meant to be.
Instead, the 59-6-2 Pacquiao will be fighting a man even hard core fans may have a hard time recognizing. And while it’s true the 18-0-1 Horn has never lost a bout, he’s never faced any truly notable opposition, either. In this sense, he is the most unrecognizable of all Pacquiao’s opponents since at least 2008, when the Filipino great’s name became known the world over (as opposed to among fight fans) after he demolished Oscar De La Hoya.
Top Rank’s tweet said nothing of where or how this fight would be shown. It’s hard to imagine the match being a pay per view success, as Pacquiao’s PPV numbers have dwindled since his epic disappointment against Floyd Mayweather two years ago in a mega bout which was all but universally panned.