Pacquiao to outpoint Horn

Points win looks the smart play

A little bit of both, we believe. Manny shows a record of 59 wins against six defeats and two draws. His CV reads like a who’s who of boxing, and we take a look back at some of his more memorable wins, a feature that can be found in our boxing section. Pac is no better than 1/7 in the eyes of Coral traders to get the W, but those who want to follow should listen closely.

The favourite hasn’t stopped an opponent since downing Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas back in 2009, and even then it came late in the fight. That KO victory did arrive on the back of a stunning knockout win vs Ricky Hatton the fight before, but he’s not gone close to getting an opponent out of there since. That means, if you’re going to back Pac Man, the points cheer makes perfect sense at 10/11.

Horn’s gamble to backfire

It’s difficult to get excited about the chances of local hero Jeff Horn, even at Coral’s 9/2 price. The 29-year-old is unbeaten to date, 16 wins and a draw, but hasn’t fought anyone in Pacquiao’s class – there’s not many in Pacquiao’s class to be fair – and hasn’t fought anyone anywhere near it either. His record shows wins over a list of very average fighters, and victory on Saturday would represent one of the biggest upsets in modern boxing.

I’m not too sure what his handlers want from this fight. Exposure, a chance to share a ring with a legend, or do they believe Pac is over the hill and this is the best time to add a major scalp to their record? Surely not. Horn, nicknamed The Hornet, brings a 65 per cent KO average, and another early night can be backed at 8/1, while the points verdict has been written off at 14/1, but rates as a much more likely outcome for us.

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