Pacquiao keeps low profile; Horn gets louder ahead of fight
BRISBANE, Australia: Manny Pacquiao kept a low profile, apparently at the insistence of local police, leaving opponent Jeff Horn to entertain a bigger crowd at his downtown practice session than he has attracted for previous fights.
Pacquiao, the 11-time world champion, is putting his WBO welterweight world title belt on the line on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium, where he is a hot favorite to register his 60th professional win.
On a previous visit to promote the “Battle of Brisbane,” Pacquiao was mobbed by adoring fans in an unexpected rush at an impromptu public appearance.
So local organizers said they took advice from Queensland state police to give the senator from the Philippines time off from promotional activities Thursday while Horn appeared for a light practice session in a makeshift ring near the Queens Street Mall, reveling in the attention of hundreds of spectators enjoying a sunny lunch break.
“For safety purposes, Manny won’t be here today,” Duco Events director Dean Lonergan said. “We took that on advice from Queensland police.”
Pacquiao’s camp got his point across to local fans on Wednesday, anyway, when his legendary longtime trainer Freddie Roach predicted the fight would be “short and sweet” and that somebody would get knocked out.
Pacquiao (59-6-2) had the last of his 38 knockout wins in 2009, but he said he has been working harder in preparation for this fight than he has in years. He has knocked down sparring partners, Roach said, and had to be forced to stop in some sessions because he was working too much.
Horn’s promoterrs have accused Pacquiao’s backers of not taking the fight seriously enough, accusing the 38-year-old Filipino of already talking about a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather and of being disrespectful during a news conference by texting on his cell phone.