Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn: Aussie to follow 10-point plan to beat legendary boxer
Australian boxer Jeff Horn will follow a 10-point plan drawn out by his trainer, Glenn Rushton, in an effort to upset WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao during their upcoming showdown on July 2. As expected, Pacquiao is the odds-on favourite to retain his title at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Horn, a former schoolteacher, underwent a light sparring session at Rushton's gym Monday in preparation for the biggest bout of his career on Sunday. According to ABC News, Horn received a blueprint over the weekend which includes tips and strategies to achieve success against one of the greatest boxers of the generation.
Rushton reportedly worked on the 10-point plan for months, after watching hours of footage from Pacquiao's previous bouts besides studying the Filipino's weaknesses. Pacquiao won both his fights last year against Americans Timothy Bradley (Apr. 9) and Jessie Vargas (Nov. 5).
However, Pacquiao hasn't secured a knockout victory since 2009 and has lost three of his last eight bouts. Rushton believes Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn would surprise critics who aren't giving the Aussie a chance. "I have no doubt this is going to be a much better fight than we've seen against (Floyd) Mayweather, even (Jessie) Vargas and (Timothy) Bradley.
"I think we've eliminated all of the problems that a lot of these fighters have had. I've got a 10-point plan and Jeff is the only person who has that 10-point plan. I said to him, follow the plan and we win the fight, simple as that," Rushton told reporters on Monday.
Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn: Aussie to follow 10-point plan
Horn said he will be running the 10-point plan in his head when he steps into the ring with Pacquiao. "It's a plan I've heard him speak to me about 1,000 times. It's perfectly worded. Reading over it is just like listening to him talk to me in the ring. What he's written down is spot on and I can get the job done if I follow it 100 per cent. He only sent it to me on the weekend and just said to read it over a few times and make sure I've got it clarified, what I need to do," said the boxer nicknamed The Flying Schoolteacher.
The bout is billed as the biggest fight ever held on Australian soil. But Rushton and Horn are "surprisingly" not feeling the nerves as a strong contingent of international media arrives in Brisbane for Sunday's fight.
"We will get everything done that we've got to do. We'll just be very well organised, stay in the moment, we don't get overwhelmed by anything, we're not getting stressed out -- we're just relaxing. As long as we do that we'll get through the week without a problem and we'll bring our best on Sunday," Horn's trainer said.
The undefeated Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) enters the bout as the underdog against the legendary Pacquiao, who has reportedly taken out a multimillion-dollar insurance policy after stressing on a rematch clause in his contract. A victory for Horn would result in an immediate rematch in October.
Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2) is expected to earn a little more than AU$10 million for the bout. He is currently the odds-on favourite to retain the WBO welterweight championship. Stay tuned for the latest news and updates on Manny Pacquiao next fight, Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn and more.