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Bob Arum believes skeptical US boxing fans are warming to the idea of Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn’s ‘Battle of Brisbane’.
The fight, set for July 2 at Suncorp Stadium, will be one of the biggest ever held in Australia but was widely panned by overseas watchers when first floated, mainly because Horn was a complete unknown.
The 29-year-old former schoolteacher is aiming to catapult into the sport’s elite bracket with an upset win in his WBO welterweight championship match against Pacquiao, who has won world titles in eight divisions and boasts a 59-6-2 record.
With ticket sales tracking well, a capacity crowd of 55,000 could be on the cards which would represent the largest live audience the Filipino legend has ever fronted.
Arum, the CEO of Top Rank promotions, is the man who made it all possible and said the magnitude of the occasion was starting to dawn on Americans.
“It’s changing. Obviously, they see Manny fighting a guy who’s never fought in the United States and that’s why they say, ‘who is Jeff Horn?’,” he said.
“But some great writers now are coming around, that Jeff has the style to make it a real competitive fight. They just didn’t know who Horn was.”
Arum said a win would be “life-changing” for the 2012 London Olympian, who first took up boxing to protect himself from schoolyard bullies.
And he believes he is in with a real shot because of his counter-punching ability, which could generate opportunities against the 38-year-old Pacquiao.
“Manny can use his speed and (agility) to avoid punches and hit, that gives Manny a big advantage. But because Manny tends to be very aggressive offensively, he leaves himself open for a counter,” Arum said.
“Jeff, when I watched him, is a terrific counter-puncher. That’s going to be his strength.
“When Manny attacks, will Jeff be able to stand there, face Manny’s punch and hit Manny with a counter right?
“If he does, with what strength can he hit him and what effect will it have?
“That, to me, is the fight. Everything else is baloney.”
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