‘ BAM BAM’ IN A RUSSIAN RUMBLE
SUPERSTARDOM awaits in the United States for Jeff Horn regardless of the result in Sunday’s “Battle of Brisbane”, according to boxing’s top promoter Bob Arum.
A television audience in the tens of millions is expected for Horn’s clash against Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium, which be broadcast live in the US on ESPN – not as a payper- view fight.
It is the first time a fight involving Pacquiao has been carried on basic cable. The deal, cut by Arum’s Top Rank company, opens up a world of possibilities for 29- year- old former schoolteacher Horn, who remains relatively unknown outside Australian boxing circles but is intent on making a name for himself.
While the bout will take place on Sunday afternoon, time differences mean it will be beamed back to America in prime time on Saturday night as the country prepares to celebrate the Independence Day long weekend.
“If Jeff Horn, win or lose, performs as well as I think he will, he will end up to be a major star in the United States just because so many eyeballs have seen him,” Arum said yesterday as he watched Horn train.
“And I really believe that Jeff Horn will give an outstanding account of himself.
“This is a great, great, great opportunity.
“The fight will be shown free to the American public on ESPN, the largest sports network in the world.
“ESPN is going promote the event.
“We’re looking forward to an audience as large as 10 million in the United States and maybe larger ... it will dwarf anything Manny Pacquiao has done in the United States in the 15 or 16 years that he’s been fighting.”
Asked who he thought would win, Arum said: “That’s a question you don’t ask a promoter. Manny has been one of our greatest fighters of the era. But remember, he’s getting older. Athletes get older.
“The question is, how old has Manny become?” all out to THE Australian sports community is raging about Jeff Horn, but the promoter of Townsville’s own Mark Flanagan says the spotlight will soon focus on “Bam Bam”.
Flanagan is in the final stages of training for his WBA world cruiserweight title fight against Denis Lebedev in Russia on July 10, and a win would catapult Flanagan on the world stage just as much as a win for Horn would against all- time boxing great Manny Pacquiao this weekend.
Brisbane- based boxing pro- moter Angelo Di Carlo, who has had Flanagan on his books for more than five years, says the Rasmussen fighter deserved to bask in the limelight.
“It’s a bit unfortunate it’s being taken off Mark, even though the boxing community is already behind him,” Di Carlo said.
“He’s been hugely popular in the boxing community for a long time and his fights on Fox Sports have been leading the ratings for a long time now.
“It’s just that the outside community that doesn’t seem to know what Mark is on the verge of achieving.
“Hopefully by Tuesday next week things really build up for him.”
The story of Flanagan rising from his childhood upbringing in a Rasmussen housing commission estate to become arguably Australia’s top cruiserweight is well known in Townsville and among boxing circles.
It’s the ultimate underdog story, and some might say Flanagan is Australian boxing’s version of Hollywood’s Rocky Balboa, although Di Carlo is concerned the story is being overlooked by Horn the “Fighting Schoolteacher”.
Horn is without doubt a good bloke and solid role model, but Di Carlo says Flanagan’s background story is just as inspiring.
“When you start listening to Mark’s story, it’s fascinating,” Di Carlo said.
“It’s all true, there’s no fabrication – even though it seems too good to be true – and it’s been a long, hard road.
“People have to understand where he comes from and hopefully in the next few weeks they will.”
Flanagan flies to Russia from Brisbane on Saturday, and has modified his training to counter the effects of fighting on the other side of the world.
“He’s been emulating his training sessions to the time he’ll be fighting in Russia,” Di Carlo said. “The main session has been starting at 5am.
“I’m sure that will help take away any negative effects of the travel and time difference.”
Lebedev has held the WBA cruiserweight title since 2012 and possesses devastating power, but Di Carlo says Flanagan – who has no shortage of power himself – will be able to dismantle the Russian big hitter.
“If there’s a weak spot in Lebedev’s armour, Mark will find it,” he said.
“We realise he’s the underdog, but I’d say he’s been the underdog in about 50 per cent of his fights.
“This isn’t anything new to Mark and he’s in his element.”