Horn tailor-made for Manny

BRISBANE – It won’t be difficult for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao to find a target for his power shots when he takes on unbeaten Australian challenger Jeff Horn in a scheduled 12-round title bout at the Suncorp Stadium here this morning (Manila time).

Pacquiao’s long-time cornerman Buboy Fernandez said yesterday Horn is tailor-made for the fighting Senator because he walks straight into his opponent, doesn’t take a step back and has little head movement. Fernandez said he’s studied Horn’s fights on video carefully and predicted an easy knockout win for Pacquiao inside five rounds.

“It’s like (Antonio) Margarito and (Miguel) Cotto all over again,” said Fernandez, now a councilor in Polangui, Albay, in Pilipino. “Manny will fight Horn like he fought Margarito and Cotto. The result will be the same. I expect an early ending.”

In 2009, Pacquiao scored a 12th round stoppage of Cotto in Las Vegas with referee Kenny Bayless halting the carnage after the Puerto Rican was floored in the third and fourth. A year later, Pacquiao was dwarfed by Margarito in a fight for the vacant WBC superwelterweight crown in Arlington, Texas. Pacquiao gave up five inches in height and at least 20 pounds but dominated Margarito from start to finish in hammering out a unanimous decision. At least twice, Pacquiao motioned to referee Laurence Cole to end the massacre as Margarito was badly battered but the Mexican refused to surrender. Margarito wound up with a fractured right orbital bone.

“When Horn throws a left jab, he doesn’t bring back his hand so he’s wide open for a coutner right from Manny,” said Fernandez. “He’s also not quick. Manny can counter with five or six shots before Horn can fire back. Manny will spin away from Horn. By the time Horn is able to throw again, Manny will already be behind him. I don’t think Horn has the speed to match Manny’s.”

Horn’s lack of mobility will make him a virtual standing target for Pacquiao. Since he hardly moves his head, Horn won’t be hard to hit. Pacquiao hasn’t scored a knockout since he demolished Cotto in 2009 and said it’s not because he takes pity on his victims. Pacquiao said if the opportunity for a knockout comes, he’ll take it.

Sen. Vicente (Tito) Sotto, who’s in town to witness the fight, said Horn’s only chance is to land a lucky punch. “Manny can’t take him lightly,” said Sotto. “Remember what happened in Manny’s (fourth) fight against (Juan Manuel) Marquez when he was knocked out. Manny can’t afford to get careless.” 

Horn paid $15,500 for a ringside seat to watch Pacquiao’s fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in Las Vegas in 2015. He said he learned how to beat Pacquiao from Mayweather. “Floyd just used his gaps very well and was able to pick his shots,” he said, quoted by Luke Dodemaide in the Australian magazine Inside Sport. “His timing was perfect. His gap control and timing were so great and his boxing IQ was so high. If I can mimic any aspect of that, then I can go a long way to winning. I think our fight is going to be very exciting to watch.”

Horn said he also learned a lot from Marquez. “I’m watching a lot of fights,” he said. “Even watching that Marquez fight. I’ve been seeing how Marquez caught him a few times. If you’ve been knocked out before then it’s possible that it will happen again. And with the way Pacquiao comes in, he’s so brave. Which is why he does so well. He comes in and he’s confident but it can be his undoing as well. If somebody can time it just right, which Marquez did, he can be stopped. I have to time my punch with Pacquiao’s movement. I kind of do the exact same thing when I come in. I use those exact same side-to-side angles. And keep thinking what punch and what angle he gets when he comes in.”