Horn to be the next big TV hit
Fight set to knock out Mundine and Green’s pay-per-view record
BOXING THE Aussie Rocky — Brisbane schoolteacher Jeff Horn — is on the verge of knocking out Anthony Mundine and Danny Green as the biggest box office hit in Australian sporting history.
Sunday’s Battle of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium will be a $30 million extravaganza from corporate and public tickets sales, a record pay-per-view audience on Foxtel’s Main Event, sponsorship and a multi-million dollar Queensland tourism grant.
That’s bigger than an NRL or AFL grand final because of the TV customers forking out $59.95 to watch the underdog against one of boxing’s greatest champions, Manny Pacquiao.
Mundine and Green’s record of around 200,000 payper-view customers has stood since their first fight at Allianz Stadium back in 2006.
A Main Event source says sales for the Horn-Pacquiao super fight are now on track to surpass those numbers.
Foxtel has hired more than 1000 operators to cope with the demand on Sunday morning when traditionally 80 per cent of subscriptions are sold.
“The expectations are we smash all records,” promoter Dean Lonergan said.
“This is already far and away the biggest fight in Australian boxing history.”
Unlike the recent MundineGreen fight in Adelaide when coverage was illegally streamed on Facebook, security measures are in place to prevent it from happening.
The fight will be shown in the United States in prime time on Saturday night on the ESPN network. BLOCKBUSTER: Jeff Horn training in the Brisbane CBD ahead of Sunday’s bout with Manny Pacquiao. NORTH Queensland junior Steph Kershaw and her Hockeyroos teammates are closing in on World Cup qualification after a strong start at the World League Tournament in Belgium.
Despite a 2-0 loss to New Zealand, the Hockeyroos have finished top of their pool on goal difference after four pool games.
Victories over Malaysia (3-0), Belgium (1-0) and Spain (4-1) have set up a mouthwatering clash against world No.8 China.
Victory over China would automatically qualify the Hockeyroos for next year’s World Cup in London.
Kershaw, a Townsville junior, has been solid through the tournament and is racking up valuable international experience ahead of the upcoming World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
Fellow young gun Georgina Morgan has impressed with goals in each of the Hockeyroos victories.
Morgan has shown off her fantastic short corner skills and has made a strong case to replace the void left by Jodie Kenny.
Check out your Fox Sports guide or the Hockey Australia website to find game times for the upcoming Hockeyroo fixtures.
In local fixtures, Under 18 players will return to their clubs after competing in the state titles last weekend.
Brothers will face Souths in a top of the table clash, while Stingers and Saints will battle it out for a finals berth.