Load of help for Horn in big fight
IN an astonishing boost to his chances in Australia’s biggest ever fight, Jeff Horn will be as much as 7kg heavier than Manny Pacquiao when they enter the ring at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday week.
The massive weight advantage will give Brisbane’s Fighting Schoolteacher an enormous head start over the 38- year- old Filipino world welterweight champ.
And after the most dynamic sparring session of his life yesterday, Horn looks a good bet to score one of the great upsets in Australian sporting history.
Horn was simply brilliant yesterday in a 12- round gym war at Stretton with world No. 4 junior- welterweight ( 63kg) fighter Czar Amonsot as he finished his sparring for the fight, relieved at last that he had not suffered any lastminute injuries.
The pair had slugged it out for 66 rounds over the last three weeks, but yesterday Horn took the battle to a whole new level, firing laserlike right- hand leads and longrange body attacks that he had previously kept largely under wraps.
He showed extraordinary balance, timing and foot speed in his new orange and black Everlast “Hornet” boots that he will wear for the fight.
It was the best I’ve seen him look in his whole career but Horn also knows he is facing the biggest challenge of his life.
“I’m jumping out of my skin,” Horn said yesterday.
“I don’t usually spar that well close to a fight but I’m really happy with my work today.
“They’re talking 50,000- 60,000 people at Suncorp and the bigger the crowd the better I fight.”