by Nick Giongco
Exactly a week after giving Australia a landmark sporting moment, newly-crowned world welterweight king Jeff Horn paid homage to the fighter he dethroned.
“(It) was an absolute honour fighting a legend,” wrote Horn in his social media account yesterday.
Horn, the huge underdog in the scheduled 12-rounder at Suncorp Stadium, carved out a unanimous decision win before over 51,000 fans.
“You have my ultimate respect,” said the still-undefeated 29-year-old Brisbane native.
Still, Horn is looking forward to meeting Pacquiao again, possibly in November in Melbourne, if the Filipino star decides to exercise a clause in the contract that mandates him to give Pacquiao a chance at payback.
“Bring on the rematch,” Horn said.
Pacquiao hasn’t formally made an official announcement regarding a second meeting but told a handful of scribes who covered the Australia fight that he is hellbent in getting even.
Although Horn got the judges’ nod, his victory was met with heavy criticisms as one of the three judges saw him winning by a mile, a stark contrast to the bout being close and hard-fought.
Even the role of the referee, Mark Nelson, did not escape the eyes of not only Pacquiao diehards but even the US boxing media.
Nelson did not penalize, much less warn Horn, about his repeated use of elbows and forearms during the close quarters combat, leaving Pacquiao, pushing 39, at the receiving end of Horn’s bruising tactics.
