AUSSIE HORNET TAKES ON PACQUIAO
AFTER losing 4.6kg in just 15 hours, a starving Jeff Horn said he was ready for a bloody Sunday in an all-out war with world welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium today.
And as a relaxed Pacquiao smiled and declared he would go back to the Philippines a winner, the world champ’s trainer Freddie Roach told the Sunday Territorian he was planning to destroy not one – but two – Brisbane fighters over the next few days.
Roach will leave Brisbane for Russia tomorrow to work the corner of world cruiserweight champ Denis Lebedev for his title fight with Brisbane slugger Mark Flanagan tomorrow week but insisted his first priority was helping Pacquiao derail Horn.
Horn was 70.9kg before his last training session on Friday night and jumped on the scales yesterday at 66.3kg.
He looked gaunt and drawn as he stared at Pacquiao in their face-off for the world’s media.
“The game face is on now, school’s out,” Horn said. “I’m not smiling now.
“I can’t wait to get out there and get the job done. It’s never easy making weight for a fight but I will feel a lot better when I get some food into me. I’ll have some eggs now and I’ll keep my fluids up all day.
“I’ll play some poker with my family and friends this afternoon, have a good sleep and then tomorrow morning I’ll go to the fight.”
Horn did eight rounds of boxing training on Friday night while wearing a plastic sweat suit. He was hoping to start the session at 70.2kg but to his dismay was 70.9.
He was 69.2kg after the workout and woke yesterday morning at 69.
He then endured hot baths to weigh in on the official scales at Suncorp at 66.3kg.
Pacquiao was 66.1kg but after rehydrating Horn could be as much as 7kg heavier.
Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton said he could sense the hunger, not just in Horn’s eyes, but in the power of his punches on Friday night.
“Jeff was toey and electric, just what I wanted,” he said.
“There was extra pop in his punches and he reminded me of a horse before a big race, pricking its ears and ready to go.
“This will be Sunday Bloody Sunday. We are ready for war.”
Pacquiao had a big breakfast yesterday and said making weight was never a problem for him.
“(Today) is going to be fun,” he said.