Ready for rumble
MANNY Pacquiao cracked his biggest smile yesterday at the thought of a toe- totoe slugfest with Jeff Horn in Brisbane.
“I love to brawl,’’ he said ahead of Sunday’s World Boxing Organisation welterweight title fight at Suncorp Stadium.
“It’s going to be a war. I’m expecting him to come inside close to me, fighting toe- to- toe and I’m ready for that.
“I love to fight aggressive fighters. I plan to win and a knockout is a bonus.”
Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee, born- again Christians, spent two hours at a church service at the Worship Centre in Carina yesterday.
Pacquiao said he was trying to shore up a place in heaven for himself but that he was planning to unleash hell against Horn.
More than 45,000 tickets for the bout have already been sold and Pacquiao says he hopes Horn follows Jeff Fenech’s tactics.
Pacquiao said he knew all about Fenech’s strategy after being reminded Australia’s three- time world champ had told Horn to “bash the bloke in close, do everything to hurt him in close. Twist him, twist his knees, use your weight advantage, bully him – bang your shoulder into him.”
An enormous smile broke across Pacquiao’s face and his eyes sparkled with a little of the fire Horn will see close up on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m ready for that,” Pacquiao said before laughing loudly.
“I have been fighting and training with brawler fighters, tough fighters.
“I consider Horn a tough opponent. I never underestimate an opponent. He’s undefeated and young. He has a big right hand. He has good amateur experience.”
Pacquiao faced a fighter using “Fenech tactics” in 2000 when the Fenechtrained Nedal Hussein knocked him down in Antipolo City before Pacquiao won on a late- round stoppage.
“It was a very dirty fight,” he said. “A lot of elbows and headbutts.”
Pacquiao said he had been sparring Australian George Kambosos and Mexican Adrian Young over the past month. He said Young had a similar style to Horn. The Mexican suffered two knockdowns in sparring last week.
Pacquiao said all his hard work for the fight was now done and he would only undergo light training at the Lang Park PCYC this week.
A huge crowd at Suncorp Stadium did not frighten him, he said, adding that he had beaten Anthony Mundine’s conqueror Joshua Clottey in front of more than 50,000 people at Cowboys Stadium in Texas in 2010. TOWNSVILLE Bulletin readers have the chance to win a double pass to see boxing great Manny Pacquiao take on hometown hero Jeff Horn at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday. The winner will also receive a $ 2000 travel voucher. Enter now at townsvillebulletin. com. au/ competitions