Manny Pacquiao, after much deliberation and speculation, will face 2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn in a fight that will serve as a major spectacle — but little else.
When it first seemed as if Manny Pacquiao was going to fight undefeated, but largely unknown, Jeff Horn, boxing fans let out a collective groan. This was unfair to Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), a former Olympian who is progressing well as a professional; the true disdain levelled at this match-up was due to the reality and understanding that Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), despite his advanced age, is still a pound-for-pound operator.
But just as it appeared that the Horn bout was a lock, Pacquiao and his camp shifted gears, and suddenly a more attractive match against Amir Khan was in play. While Khan certainly has his flaws, he also possesses elite hand speed, championship credentials and a significant fan base. Pacquiao-Khan had been in the proverbial ether for years, but this, after all, is boxing; when the fight finally made sense, it dissolved.
Now, after maddening seesawing, Manny Pacquiao will indeed embark on his world tour and face Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia, on July 2 (July 1 in North America due to the time difference), according to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael. Here are some details from Rafael’s report:
"A crowd of some 55,000 is expected to turn out for one of the biggest events in Australian boxing history. The fight will air on pay-per-view in Australia, but Arum said the television situation in the United States would be announced in the coming weeks.[Bob] Arum could do the fight on pay-per-view in the U.S., though given Pacquiao’s recent numbers that would be a tough sell, especially against an opponent wholly unknown in the U.S. Arum said he would talk to HBO about the possibility of a deal to have Pacquiao fight live on the network for the first time since a sixth-round knockout of Hector Velazquez in September 2005. The fight will take place on Sunday afternoon in Australia, which in the U.S. would be Saturday night, the usual time for boxing matches on HBO."
Rafael is also reporting that Annastacia Palaszczuk, the premier of Queensland, estimates a $15.8 million influx into the local economy thanks to Pacquiao-Horn. That, combined with what will surely be a raucous live atmosphere, does indeed make this fight an event of genuine magnitude.
In the past, it was far more common for champions to take their titles on the road. Boxing is uniquely global in that sense, but as the sport’s popularity has waned, the very concept of a “world tour” has fallen out of favor. Pacquiao, though, is a global superstar, and in terms of active fighters, he’s unique in his ability to parachute into practically any country and make one of his bouts a marquee event.
At 38, however, Pacquiao is actually embarking on a retirement tour more akin to Kobe Bryant or Derek Jeter if he intends to face the likes of Jeff Horn going forward. There were some rumblings that Pacquiao could be building to a fight against Kell Brook (who takes on dangerous mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jr. next), which is appealing. And then there’s Terence Crawford — a mouth-watering match that could add yet another layer to Pacquiao’s greatness or serve as a compelling, and perhaps necessary, passing of the torch.
The point is that Pacquiao still belongs in the ring with fighters like Terence Crawford or Kell Brook. While many suspect Crawford, who is currently in his athletic prime, would prove a step too far for Pacquiao, there’s enough legitimate intrigue and variables at play to make the fight worthwhile.
One shouldn’t completely dismiss Jeff Horn as a boxer or the fact that he’ll have a massive crowd to spur him towards what would be a monumental upset. And yet, it’s impossible to ignore the reality that Pacquiao-Horn is, in many respects, a shameless cash grab by a legendary fighter who is verging on overstaying his welcome, especially when one considers his insistence on prioritizing his duties as a Senator in the Philippines.
Next: Canelo and Golden Boy distance themselves from GGG
Recent development have made it clear that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao, the defining fighters of their era, have started to hold boxing hostage. With Pacquiao, it’s the insistence on fighting someone like Jeff Horn when more appealing (and still lucrative) options are out there; with Mayweather, it’s his maddening dominance of the news cycle as he flirts with a farcical bout against UFC star Conor McGregor. If nothing changes with Mayweather and Pacquiao, it would be best for boxing fans to finally move on.