How to Watch:
Where: Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia
When: Saturday, July 1
TV: U.S. ESPN 9 pm ET (Main event approx 11:30 pm ET)
Stream: WatchESPN
Undercard:
Shane Mosely Jr. vs. David Toussaint
Michael Conlan vs. Jarrett Owen
Jerwin Ancajas vs. Teiru Kinoshita
Manny Pacquiao heads to the Land Down Under on Sunday to face relative unknown Jeff Horn in what he hopes will be the first leg of a glorious final run.
At 38 years old, Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) has nothing left to prove. He's won 11 major boxing championships, been involved in massive bouts opposite Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley, and was one half of the highest-grossing combat sports event in history when he went 12 rounds with Floyd Mayweather.
Nevertheless, he chose to end a seven-month retirement last November, winning a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas to claim the WBO welterweight belt. Soon, he'll embark on what has been billed as a farewell tour by promoter Bob Arum, and that journey begins when he fights Australia's own Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) in Brisbane.
Pacquiao's first title defense in more than two years has several worthwhile talking points, starting with the unique nature of the broadcast.
After spending the last decade-plus under the HBO umbrella, he'll fight on basic cable for the first time when he and Horn collide live on ESPN.
Pacquiao has fought exclusively on HBO and pay-per-view since September 2005, but with his drawing power having diminished in recent years, a move to a more accessible platform could be exactly what he needs to generate maximum interest in his next few fights.
As is often the case in a boxing match where the lights are shining much brighter on one side than the other, Horn is in danger of being relegated to a footnote in the midst of all the Pacquiao hullabaloo.
No, he's not Amir Khan or Terence "Bud" Crawford, but Horn can at least claim an undefeated record, an appearance at the 2012 Olympics in London, and several minor title belts. Even if those aren't the most compelling accolades, they could be enough to convince viewers that he's a live dog.
Horn has finished his last three opponents inside the distance, and he's been smart in playing up the classic "puncher's chance" angle, going as far as to evoke Marquez's frightening knockout of Pacquiao back in 2012.
"I've watched Juan Manuel Marquez knock Manny cold with a right hand, and I've re-watched it many times," Horn told Grantlee Kieza of The Courier-Mail. "The right hand is my big punch too."
Replicating that Marquez shot will be a tall task, but it's safe to say Horn isn't lacking in the type of confidence that could throw a wrench into Arum's plan, which, he claims, ends with Pacquiao fighting the light welterweight champion Crawford.
However, this being combat sports, nothing is guaranteed, and that leaves the path for Pacquiao wide open, for better or worse. Arum has spoken about him possibly fighting in Russia, Europe, and in his home country of the Philippines, with the idea that the politically-minded Pacquiao will take a trip around the globe before hanging up the gloves for good and settling into his role as a senator.
Should he easily dispatch Horn or (gulp) somehow lose to him, there's no indication of whether he plans to step up against a more well known boxer or continue conquering local talents. Is this tour about sentimentality and kissing babies, or is it a chance to go out on top?
Only Pacquiao and Arum can answer that.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
