Horn wants rematch to settle issue with Pacquiao
Jeff Horn of Australia celebrates after beating Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines during their WBO World welterweight title fight in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, July 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Forget the first fight and let’s have a rematch.
That’s the message Jeff Horn wants to impart to Manny Pacquiao with regard to their “Battle of Brisbane” last July 2.
“I kind of feel it has been put to bed and that I definitely won the fight because it has been rescored,” Horn told AFP in Los Angeles Thursday.
The five-man panel formed by the World Boxing Organization to review and rescore the welterweight title bout concluded on Tuesday that Horn did beat Pacquiao, seven rounds to five.
Their tally affirmed the 115-113 scores of judges Chris Flores and Ramon Cerdan.
Judge Waleska Roldan, however, was way off in handing Horn a 117-111 victory.
Still, the issue refuses to die down as many quarters, including the Games and Amusements Board, insist the scoring was affected somewhat by the inefficiency of referee Mark Nelson.
Horn wants to silence his bashers and these doubters.
“But people are always going to have their opinions and you’re not going to be able to change those. So I guess the only way you’re going to be able to do it is to have a rematch,” said Horn, who’s just waiting for Pacquiao to make use of his rematch clause.
Relaxing and spending quality time with his family in Gen. Santos City, Pacquiao has indicated that he’ll go after Horn again before considering ending an illustrious 22-year ring career.
Promoter Bob Arum is also targeting a rematch in November and even has a new venue (53,359-seater Docklands Stadium in Melbourne) in mind.
Brisbane and Queensland officials, however, are adamant in staging Pacquiao-Horn II, with the full blessing of their local hero.
With the 52,500-seat Suncorp Stadium, where the first battle was held, being shunned owing to the unpredictable weather prevailing in November, the much-smaller Brisbane Entertainment Center (15,000 capacity) is being considered for the rematch, according to reports.
Oozing with confidence after surviving a near-knockout in the ninth round and carrying the fight to Pacquiao from the get-go up to the final bell, Horn even issued a stern warning.
“And I think I would do better a second time.”
