NAASAR ang trainer ni WBO No. 2 welterweight Jeff Horn na si Glenn Rushton sa kantiyaw ni Hall of Famer Freddie Roach na mas mahusay sa Aussie ang inagawan ni eight-division world titlist Manny Pacquiao na Amerikanong si Jessie Vargas kaya nangako itong patutulugin ng kanyang alaga ang Pinoy boxer.
Hahamunin ni Horn si Pacquiao sa Hulyo 2 sa harap ng 55,000 boxing fans sa Suncorp Stadium sa Brisbane, Australia at umaasang lilikha ng pinakamalaking upset sa kasaysayan ng boksing.
May rekord na 16 panalo, 1 tabla, 11 sa knockout, inismol ni Roach ang kakayahan ni Horn at naniniwalang patutulugin ito ni Pacquiao, ngunit kinontra ito ng Amerikano ni Rushton.
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“Manny has never fought anyone like Jeff,’’ sabi ni Rushton sa Fox Sports Australia. “And Jeff is the kind of fighter who is difficult to prepare for because you never know what’s coming at you.”
Para kay Rushton, wala pang nakakaharap si Pacquiao na katulad ni Horn kaya mahihirapan itong talunin ang Aussie boxer.
“He can turn southpaw like Manny, he can hit you with right hand leads and he can move and fight from angles that Manny hasn’t encountered before,’’ diin ni Rushton.
Maging ang conditioning coach ni Horn na si Dundee Kim ay naniniwalang ngayon lamang makakasabak si Pacquiao sa boksingerong katulad ni Horn.
“I’ve been studying Manny for 16 years and no one he has ever fought boxes like Jeff. Most guys Manny has fought come into the ring and they are predictable. Even Tim Bradley - who is a very good boxer – they all start with the left jab, right hand, left hook,” pagyayabang ni Kim.
“But Jeff throws punches from everywhere. He can throw right hand leads as fast as jabs and he can turn southpaw quickly to throw opponents off their game,” dagdag ni Kim. “His pressure technique upsets his opponents’ rhythm. I think Manny will really get a shock when Jeff starts hitting him hard from angles Manny hasn’t seen before.’’
(Gilbert Espeña)
