In a sport where the headlines are being taken up by an upcoming bout between an MMA superstar and the self-appointed boxing "TBE", a battle between a Filipino senator and a primary school teacher in Brisbane has gone completely under the radar.
When Manny Pacquiao announced that he would be defending his WBO welterweight title against the virtually unknown Australian Jeff Horn, it was understandably met with groans of disappointment.`
Pacquiao, 59-6-2 (38), is one of the modern era's boxing greats and at the ripe old age of 38, the Filipino superstar is at the tail end of his career. Now he balances a promising career in politics whilst preparing to lace up for his 68th fight.
Advert
Can we really begrudge an eight-division world champion for picking up a few easy pay days in his 22nd year as a boxer?
His Brisbane-based opponent Horn is unbeaten in his 17 outings as a professional so far, although the 29 year-old, who moonlights as a teacher outside of boxing, has yet to face anyone of note and certainly no one of Pacquiao's calibre.
Horn, the bigger of the men, has said he is looking to outmuscle and outwork the ageing Pacquiao, a tactic that could be his downfall on the night.
"Pac-Man" hasn't stopped an opponent since Ricky Hatton eight years ago, but Chris Algieri made the mistake of underestimating the older man's stamina in 2014, believing he could bully the veteran.
Advert
He survived being knocked out by the skin of his teeth but was put on the canvas six-times along the way.
In the unlikely event that Jeff Horn wins this weekend, we'll be looking at the end of the glistening career of Manny Pacquiao and an upset that probably matches the magnitude of Mike Tyson v Buster Douglas.
An all-out assault on Pacquiao would be very naive of the still green Horn and I think we could finally see a "Pac-Man" KO win that's been a long time coming.
Recommended bet:
Advert
Manny Pacquiao to win via KO, TKO or Disqualification - 11/8, Ladbrokes
Featured Image Credit: