GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Manny Pacquiao can easily score a knockout against undefeated challenger Jeff Horn provided that “he puts his mind into it,” the Filipino star’s conditioning coach said Friday during the eve of their departure for Brisbane.
“As long as he gives everything, he can knock a whole bunch,” said Australian Justin Fortune, extremely confident that Pacquiao would have no difficulty doing just that on July 2 at Suncorp Stadium.
Fortune feels Pacquiao, 38, “has to get rid of Horn in six rounds” or suffer a backlash if he doesn’t.
“Bad for Manny and good for Horn,” said the former heavyweight fighter.
Still, Fortune swears that the only thing that could lead to a disaster would be if Pacquiao looks past the younger and fresher Horn.
Pacquiao, however, is quick to dismiss such fears.
“He is unbeaten so it’s foolish to take him lightly,” said Pacquiao after his last day of training in the country.
A chartered Air Asia 300-seater jumbo jet is ferrying Team Pacquiao to Brisbane on Saturday from here for the seven-hour and 30 minute journey.
Chief trainer Freddie Roach said the last sparring session will be Monday although Pacquiao would continue working out probably until Thursday or even Friday.
Roach insists Pacquiao is all set for what should go down as the biggest bout on Australian soil.
“We are on a happy place and I can see it on Manny’s face,” said Roach, who has been Pacquiao’s lead tactician the last 16 years.