Manny Pacquiao is set to go back to the ring for the first time since winning the WBO welterweight title from Jessie Vargas when he chooses on comparative unknown Australian fighter Jeff Horn. Horn has the opportunity to shock the world and beat Pacquiao in front of tens of thousands of his fellow Australians.
Below is Fightful’s record of”The Battle of Brisbane” involving Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title.
What’s at stake:
For once in such fight preview posts, it is not only the fighters who have something at stake. ESPN, who’s broadcasting this fight, is starting to get back in the boxing match with Golden Boy Promotions holding cards around the network. For the sport of boxing to keep on flourishing, ESPN has got to hope for a very good viewership turnout. It is on primetime tv on the East Coast without a major contest threatening it.
Boxing’s popularity has seen a constant increase as of late, but it can longer be successful on the HBO/Showtime platforms. With PBC’s victory on the significant networks (Fox, CBS, NBC) being mixed in the top, ESPN can serve as the following television home for the game for mainstream crowds now that rumors that the community may also broadcast Vasyl Lomachenko’s next fight. But this ESPN/boxing experiment is only going to work if Pacquiao and Horn will bring a large enough viewership on Saturday.
As the boxers, there’s plenty at stake for. For Pacquiao, his legacy is already set in stone, but with recent comments made by Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach now has the boxing community speculating about a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather. In order for that rematch to stand a chance of occurring, Pacquiao not just has to beat Horn, but defeat him in convincing fashion.
Horn gets the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. Facing over 50,000 rabid fans sitting at the SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, a record-breaking crowd to get a boxing battle in Australia, Horn gets the opportunity to upset Pacquiao and win his first world title. Horn is a massive underdog heading into the fight and this is a humongous step up in competition combating an all time good. Beating Pacquiao could potentially make him one of the game’s next superstars in 29 years of age. It is essentially a no-lose situation for him, but he can win a lot by beating Pacquiao at Australia.
Where to see:
The battle card, which will take place at SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, will soon be broadcasted on ESPN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Here’s the Primary televised card (ESPN, ESPN Deportes [Spanish-Language Broadcast], WatchESPN, 10 p.m. ET):
Manny Pacquiao (c) vs. Jeff Horn: WBO Welterweight World Title Bout
Jerwin Ancajas (c) vs. Teiru Kinoshita: IBF Junior Bantamweight Title Bout
Michael Conlan vs. Jarrett Owen: Featherweight Bout
Here’s the televised undercard (ESPN, ESPN Deportes [Spanish-Language Broadcast], WatchESPN, 9 p.m. ET):
Shane Mosley, Jr. vs. David Toussaint: Middleweight Bout
Tale of the Tape:
Manny Pacquiao:
Record: 59–6–2 (38 KO)
Height: 5’5.5″
Reach: 67″
Notable wins: Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Zab Judah
Jeff Horn:
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KO)
Height: 5??? 9???
Reach: 68″
Wins: Randall Bailey, Ali Funeka
Betting Odds (from Bovada):
Manny Pacquiao: -600 (preferred )
Jeff Horn: +400 (underdog)
Fightful will have live coverage of the ESPN broadcast in addition to a post-fight podcast immediately after the ESPN broadcast ends with Carlos Toro and Steven Muehlhausen.
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