2 ways to look at Pac-Horn fight on July 2

T HERE are two ways to look at the pro jected July 2 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn.

One, Horn being an Australian, he is being groomed by the Aussies to be the next world champion from the island continent. It’s been quite a while since Australia has had a world boxing champion. Was Jeff Fenech the last one? Two, Pacquiao having emphatically said he’d fight twice this year, he needs to have his first foray to be unproblematic. Although unbeaten in 17 fights, Horn appears to be an easy customer; his foes appear un-credentialed.

Australia has been that hungry for a boxing hero for years now. And untested as he maybe, Horn still presents himself as the brightest prospect.

With an unbeaten record of 16 wins against one draw— with 11 knockouts to boot— Horn holds hopes of greatness never seen on Aussie land in recent memory.

Australia needs a bridge, a “patch of arable land” so to speak, as tool to complete the journey to sports glory.

Who could be the more logical choice than Pacquiao.

With an unprecedented eight world titles in eight different divisions tucked under his belt, Pacquiao fits that role to a tee.

A Horn win over Pacquiao could be the upset of the century— but it’d mean more than that. For Horn. For Australia.

Instant fame and wealth for Horn, the former schoolteacher.

A surge back to the world sporting stage for Australia.

That is why practically both the Australian government and the Brisbane City Council are robust supporters of the bout set at Brisbane’s 55,000-seat Suncorp Arena.

For Pacquiao, he needs to dispose of Horn lightning quick to continue proving that his 38-year-old fists, if not his knees, can still hack it.

It’s been almost a decade since he stopped a foe (Miguel Cotto in 12 rounds). Pacquiao badly needs one to legitimize his $7.5-million purse in his Horn clash— the lowest in years.

A lackluster points victory over Horn in a follow-up to Pacquiao’s back-to-back decisions against Tim Bradley and Jessie Vargas, could derail a November fight for the only fighting senator on planet Earth.

One should keep winning— big time— to make the embers burning.