Jeff Horn, an ex-schoolteacher from suburban Brisbane, produced an upset, beating boxing legend Manny Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title, in front of crowd of more than 51,000 at Suncorp Stadium.
With a bloodied face, near-closed right eye and badly bruised cheekbone, 29-year-old Brisbane school teacher Jeff Horn became the WBO welterweight champion of the world when he defeated boxing icon Manny Pacquiao by a unanimous points decision on Sunday afternoon. Sorry, “defeated” doesn’t sound adequate enough. It was one of the biggest upsets in recent history. “I hope that earns a little bit of respect for the kids,” Horn said. “I’ve climbed Pacquiao mountain.”
The three judges were unanimous in their decision: 117-111, 113-115 and 113-115.
The unthinkable became the reality. At 29, unheralded, unrated and flat-out laughed out by American pundits, Horn stunned the boxing world.
“I respect the judges’ decision,” Pacquiao said. “He was much tougher than I expected. Much, much tougher.”
Straight after the fight, Horn held up a set of boxing gloves in one hand and a walking stick in the other and called out brash American Floyd Mayweather, who beat Pacquiao in Las Vegas two years ago and is preparing for an August megafight with UFC star Conor McGregor. “Does he want the boxing gloves or the walking stick?” he asked.
Source: Brisbane Times