WIN FIGHT TICKETS
HURRY, CLOSES THIS MORNING
JEFF Horn’s trainer says there is “an 80 per cent’’ chance Brisbane’s Fighting Schoolteacher will stop Manny Pacquiao by a lateround stoppage after a gruelling Suncorp Stadium battle.
Eleven years after Horn walked through the doors of Glenn Rushton’s gym built inside his Stretton mansion, Horn was surrounded by media from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the US yesterday as he revved up his engine in readiness for a roaring victory in Australia’s biggest fight.
Rushton, 59, a martial arts guru who is now Australia’s leading boxing trainer, said he had used a combination of “psychology and science’’ to temper Horn into ‘‘a fierce competitor’’ who had a ‘‘mind like a samurai warrior’’.
“He is as strong as an ox and he believes in himself,’’ Rushton said.
“Manny will not be any fitter than Jeff and the whole outcome of the fight now depends on execution on the day.
“We’ve had a 10-week campaign for this fight, all finely tuned, and we haven’t missed a beat in preparation.
“I’ve analysed thousands of hours of footage of Manny and I’ve studied the mistakes others have made fighting him and how Manny has handled different styles. I’ve seen the traps other fighters have fallen into against him – the likes of Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Jessie Vargas.’’
Rushton said Horn would fight the World Boxing Organisation welterweight champion in a phone booth if he had to.
While Horn went through a light workout yesterday, he said all the hard work for the fight was now done and he would concentrate on tapering his preparation so he was ready to explode at fight time.
Horn said he had been reading and rereading Rushton’s 10-point plan for victory in Sunday’s bout
One of Rushton’s major points is to constantly move away from Pacquiao’s devastating left hand.
“Manny’s strongest weapon is his straight left but if you focus on that, you’re going to get knocked out with a right hook or a left uppercut,’’ Rushton said.
“We know his strengths but we’re not focused on one thing.’’