With what is being called the biggest fight in Australian history just around the corner, it appears Australia’s Jeff Horn will be up against it when he faces Manny Pacquiao this weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In this week’s edition of At The Bar, the Hillston Hurricane Michael ‘Speedy’ Stratton and The Area News’ sports journalist Liam Warren look ahead to the bout on Sunday afternoon.
Liam: Well Speedy, the big fight is only a few sleeps away now. What are you expecting?
Speedy: It is a big fight by Australian standards anyway – 50-odd thousand people up at Suncorp on a Sunday afternoon, so it will be in prime time in America and you have to do everything right with the Yanks.
Liam: It's going to be an uphill battle for Horn against one of the greatest in recent memory.
Speedy: The difference is Pacquiao is a great champion. He has had 70-odd fights and lost about six, from memory, but he has been in there with some legends.
Liam: Do you think it would have been better for Horn to go up against some more quality opposition before this fight?
Speedy: The Aussie bloke has had 17 fights and fair dinkum he has fought nobody of any substance and he has the ability, there is no doubt, but I would have like to have seen him fight one or maybe two of the top contenders before he got in the ring with Pacquiao.
Liam: I don’t see the fight lasting too long.
Speedy: My mate Steven Knox lives in Griffith but spends a lot of time in Hillston. He knows a bit about boxing. He was involved with it when I was there years ago, so he knows what he is talking about. He thinks Horn will do the job, but if it goes more than four rounds, I'll be very surprised.
Liam: What do you think is going to prove the difference between the two?
Speedy: Horn has the style that will suit Pacquiao right down to the ground. Horn is 29 and Pacquiao is 38 but age has nothing to do with this because Pacquiao is a master craftsman. He knows what he is doing. He can either box or slug it out and the way Horn fights and being well short of experience, this will suit Pacquiao down to the ground.
Liam: They are building it up as the biggest fight in history. Do you think that is fair?
Speedy: Maybe. Over the years there have been some big fights. Danny Green and Anthony Mundine two fights and Green's fight against Troy Jones were pretty big and Jeff Fenech when he was at his top, he fought Azumah Nelson down in Melbourne, that was huge, and then you can go right back to Jimmy Carruthers who was bantamweight champion of the world. The way it is today with Pay TV, I suppose it would probably be the biggest fight.
