Horn’s victory stuns Funeka

JEFF Horn’s last opponent Ali Funeka joined millions of boxing lovers who were stunned by the Aussie’s upset defeat of Filipino legend Manny Pacquaio.

Horn scored a debatable unanimous decision over the Filipino senator to wrest his WBO world welterweight title at a packed Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, in Australia.

While the outcome is being slammed in boxing circles with some critics calling it one the worst in boxing history, Horn has an official win over the Filipino legend.

Funeka, who missed the fight due to power failure in his area, said he was not overly surprised by the outcome.

Funeka was knocked out in six rounds by Horn after first putting the former Aussie schoolteacher on the canvas courtesy of a body shot in their clash this past December.

After the loss the 39-year-old Mdantsane veteran was considered a spent force in boxing and calls for him to retire reached a crescendo.

But Funeka attributed the loss to Horn’s awkward style which involves lunging in with his head.

Funeka warned Pacquaio not to take Horn lightly and his warning eventually proved well placed.

The fight went down in a typical fashion Funeka had predicted, bar the outcome.

“I said Pacquiao should not underestimate Horn because that boy is awkward,” Funeka said when told of the outcome.

“Before he dropped me he rammed his head on me and while I was dizzy he landed the right hand. I do not think that was deliberate but that is just his style of fighting.”

Horn’s fight with Pacquiao was a bloody affair due to several cuts produced by accidental clash of heads.

But this time it was the Aussie who was the worse off as he sported a nasty cut after the fight.

Funeka had predicted a Pacquaio victory based on the Filipino’s experience and his southpaw style which he figured would offset Horn’s unorthodox boxing make up.

“I am as stunned as everyone with the outcome but I suspected this could happen due to the factors I had mentioned before.”

Funeka’s loss to Horn suddenly does not look so bad if the Aussie can also add the scalp of the only boxer to win world titles in eight divisions.

Funeka is busy preparing for a crucial WBA-NABA welterweight title against Colombian-born Canadian Smuel Vargas at Powerade Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada on August 19.

Pacquiao’s defeat will give him a psychological boost to back up his claims that he is not yet done in the ring.