Sydney: Manny Pacquiao was the heavy favourite to retain his welterweight world title against unknown Jeff Horn in what most viewed as an easy fight, and Pacquiao sure looked like he had done just that when the final bell rang to end the action-packed brawl.
Pacquiao had rocked Horn, bloodied him and nearly stopped him in a violently one-sided ninth round. But then the judges' scorecards were read, and Pacquiao was the victim of a hugely controversial decision, as Horn was awarded a stunning unanimous decision - a hometown decision, many will call it - before 51,052 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.
Judge Waleska Roldan had it 117-111, and judges Chris Flores and Ramon Cerdan both had it 115-113 for Horn, according to a report on espn.in website. ESPN.com scored the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao, and ESPN ringside analyst Teddy Atlas had it 116-111 for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, the Filipino legend and boxing's only eight-division world champion, has been here before, losing a split decision and a welterweight world title to Timothy Bradley Jr. in 2012 in one of the most controversial decisions in boxing history. Like he was after that loss - which he avenged twice - Pacquiao was gracious after his bout with Horn.
"That's the decision of the judges. I respect that," Pacquiao said.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's Hall of Fame trainer, also took the high road. "I have to go along with Manny and say I respect the decision of the judges," Roach said. "Well, two of the judges (who had it 115-113). thought Manny won, but Jeff Horn showed a lot of heart. He is a big, strong fighter, and I congratulate him."
Pacquiao, 38, holds the contractual right to a rematch, and he said he would exercise it. "Absolutely, yes," Pacquiao said of fighting Horn again in Australia. "We have a rematch clause, so no problem."
The fight, which aired live on espn, was Pacquiao's first non-pay-per-view bout since 2005 and was supposed to be a showcase. That Horn was still standing at the end of the tough fight was a surprise, but Pacquiao looked to be the clear winner - until his belt was handed to Horn, a 29-year-old former Olympian and former school teacher with a very thin ring resume.
Horn seemed as shocked as anyone that he got the decision, if body language means anything, but he said he thought he won what will go down as the biggest fight in Australian history.
"I thought I was coming forward more and landing the cleaner blows," Horn said. "That's just my opinion."
Asked how he managed to win, he struggled for words at first. "I don't know. I guess with the crowd behind me and all the support," said Horn, who was Pacquiao's mandatory challenger. "I've just believed since I was young that I could do this. There's lots of thoughts going through [my mind]. I managed to get the decision. It was close."
It did not appear to be all that close, however, even though the action far exceeded the modest expectations going into the fight. Pacquiao also dominated the punch statistics, getting credit for landing 182 of 573 blows (32 per cent), while Horn landed 92 of 625 (15 per cent). Pacquiao also landed more punches in 11 of the 12 rounds.
There was an accidental head-butt in the seventh round, and it cut Pacquiao near his left eye, and more blood streamed down his face. Horn went right at Pacquiao after the ringside doctor took a look at the cut, and the crowd got very excited.
"I feel his power. He is strong," said Pacquiao, who after the fight needed nine stitches to close the cut on the hairline and eight stitches to close the cut by his left eye.
Pacquiao, who made at least $10 million to Horn's $500,000, also said he was a little under the weather, having picked up a cold upon his arrival in Australia a week earlier, but he did not harp on that.
(Reuters)
