BRISBANE, Australia – American referee Mark Nelson walked over to a seemingly dazed and confused and cut Jeff Horn after the end of the ninth round of his bloody brawl with Manny Pacquiao on Sunday and warned the Australian’s corner to do something big so he could reconsider stopping the match.
“I told him to show me something or I will stop the fight,” Nelson, based in Minnesota said.
With blood of both Pacquiao and Horn splattering his baby-blue shirt, Nelson likewise made it clear that the two cuts Pacquiao sustained in the sixth and seventh frames were not caused by an intentional headbutt.
“If it’s right here, it’s not (intentional),” Nelson said, pointing to the side of his head.
Nelson said a punch would not open such kind of cut on that part of the head, brushing off claims that Horn was being dirty by using his head.
But, Horn, a 29-year-old former schoolteacher, did try shoving and twisting and wrestling when they were all tied up, something Pacquiao simply could not handle as the Australian was bigger and heavier.
Horn acknowledged this fact, telling the media during the post-fight press conference that his edge in size contributed to his stunning win. (Nick Giongco)
