By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Photos: Peter McDermont

By Fightnews.com

WBO#2 Jeff Horn will have the hometown advantage when he squares off against boxing legend and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on July 2 at the Suncorp stadium in Brisbane with most of the expected 55,000 fans cheering for the Aussie schoolteacher but this is not the first time the future Hall of Famer has boxed in front of a massive attendance reports Grantlee Kieza of the Courier Mail. Promoters Bob Arum and Dean Lonergan were also with Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn at Sydney airport’s Pullman hotel for a press conference Thursday.

Pacman beat Anthony Mundine’s conqueror Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas in 2010 before 51,000 fans and he hopes there will be even more to cheer for Horn at Suncorp.

He said he had also fought in front of hostile crowds before and in 2003, at a huge auditorium in San Antonio, Texas, beat Marco Antonio Barrera before his opponent’s army of Mexican supporters.

“The only three friends I had in the whole place were the people in my corner,” Pacquiao said.
“But I still won. I think Jeff Horn will make an exciting fight. I throw a lot of punches and he likes to go toe-to-toe. He is very aggressive.”

Jeff Horn said ” We both look at each other and I can see his eyes shine a little bit and I think we both have to bite our lips to stop laughing,’’ he added
“I don’t have anything against Manny. He’s a legend but this is my chance. I know the importance of it. If I beat him, I’ll make millions and who knows what will happen when the bell goes?

“If you believe in yourself and you have a goal you can get there.
“I know he’ll come charging at me throwing a lot of punches. I know I really have to watch his big left hand but if I can get him to walk on to my right cross, who knows – I might knock him out in the first round like I did to Sam Colomban when I won the Australian title.’’