■ ROACH SAYS PACQUIAO WILL KEEP FIGHT WITH HORN ‘SHORT AND SWEET’
Sen. Manny Pacquiao seems to be trying to keep expectations of a knockout low, but his trainer Freddie Roach assured that the boxer is “in great shape” ahead of his fight this Sunday with Jeff Horn for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship. Some 50,000 are expected to turn up for the “Battle of Brisbane.” Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan echoed his camp’s view that Pacquiao has underestimated their fighter and, referring to the time Pacquiao spent using his cell phone during a press conference, called the Filipino “a world champion texter.”
Roach promises a knockout in Pacman’s first fight in Australia Roach says Pacman, 38, is in great shape and had great sparring sessions Horn’s trainer says Pacman is underestimating Horn, looking at Floyd rematch
Manny Pacquiao isn’t saying it publicly, preferring not to dwell too much on landing a knockout blow.
But his trainer, Freddie Roach, isn’t pulling any punches: Roach reckons the WBO welterweight world championship fight against Jeff Horn on Sunday will be “short and sweet.”
“Manny is in great shape,” Roach said Wednesday. “He doesn’t like to predict knockouts, but I do. It’s going to be short and sweet.
“If Horn comes out likes he says he’s gonna, Manny will fire back. I think it’s going to be a great fight but it won’t last too long, and someone will get knocked out.”
Pacquiao, who hasn’t won by knockout since 2009, said he has a few strategies to handle Horn, who is unbeaten in 17 fights since turning pro in 2013. The 38-yearold Philippines senator has knocked sparring partners down in training and said he’s feeling better than he has in a while.
Roach said the training camp has been more like a vintage Pacquiao preparation.
“The thing is, in sparring, we haven’t had knockdowns and knockouts in a long time. This time we did,” the legendary trainer said. “Manny has been his old self, having fun and doing what he does best.”
The fight is being dubbed the “Battle of Brisbane” and will be staged at the outdoor Suncorp Stadium, with an expected crowd of more than 50,000.
The forecast for Sunday is for mostly sunny skies and a high of about 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit), fairly standard temperatures for subtropical Brisbane in the middle of the southern hemisphere winter.
Horn’s trainer, Glenn Rushton, believes Pacquiao’s camp has underestimated the Australian boxer by talking already about future rematches with Floyd Mayweather.
Horn’s promotor Dean Lonergan also picked up on the theme, highlighting Pacquiao’s continual attention to his cell phone during Wednesday’s official news conference and describing the 11-time world champion Filipino fighter as a “world champion texter.” /