Manny Pacquiao is set to go back to the ring for the first time since winning the WBO welterweight title from Jessie Vargas if he chooses on comparative unknown Australian boxer Jeff Horn. Horn has the chance to shock the world and beat Pacquiao in front of tens of thousands of his fellow Australians.
Below is Fightful’s preview of”The Battle of Brisbane” between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title.
What is at stake:
For once in such struggle preview posts, it is not only the fighters that have something at stake. ESPN, who’s broadcasting this battle, is beginning to get back into the boxing game with Golden Boy Promotions holding cards around the community. For the game of boxing to continue flourishing, ESPN has got to hope for a very good viewership turnout. It is on primetime television on the East Coast without a major competition threatening it.
Boxing’s popularity has seen a steady increase as of late, but it can longer be powerful on the HBO/Showtime platforms. With PBC’s victory on the major networks (Fox, CBS, NBC) being mixed at best, ESPN can serve as the following television home for the sport for mainstream audiences today that rumors circulating that the community might also broadcast Vasyl Lomachenko’s next battle. However, this ESPN/boxing experiment is only going to operate if Pacquiao and Horn will bring a large enough viewership on Saturday.
As for the boxers, there is a lot at stake. For Pacquiao, his heritage is already set in stone, but with recent remarks made by Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach currently has the boxing community speculating about a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather. For this rematch to stand a chance of happening, Pacquiao not just has to beat Horn, but beat him in convincing fashion.
Horn gets the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. Facing over 50,000 rabid fans sitting in the SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, a record-breaking audience to get a boxing fight in Australia, Horn gets the opportunity to upset Pacquiao and win his first world title. Horn is a massive underdog heading into this fight and this really is a humongous step up in competition combating an all-time good. Beating Pacquiao could potentially make him one of the sport’s next superstars at 29 years of age. It’s basically a no-lose situation for him, but he could acquire a lot by beating Pacquiao in Australia.
Where to see:
The fight card, which will take place in SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, will be broadcasted on ESPN, starting at 9 p.m. ET. Here is the main 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″
Attain: 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???
Attain: 68″
Wins: Randall Bailey
Betting Odds (from Bovada):
Manny Pacquiao: -600 (preferred )
Jeff Horn: +400 (underdog)
Fightful will have live coverage of the ESPN broadcast as well as a post-fight podcast instantly following the ESPN broadcast ends with Carlos Toro and Steven Muehlhausen.
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