Latest news with #JeffHorn
The Independent
02-08-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Manny Pacquiao called out by ex-world champion and offered shot at redemption
Manny Pacquiao has been called out by former world champion Liam Paro as he considers his options after his impressive return to the ring last month. Pacquiao stepped back between the ropes after a four-year layoff to draw with Mario Barrios in their WBC welterweight title clash in Las Vegas and has no plans to head back into retirement yet. Australia's Paro, 26-1 (16), held the IBF super lightweight title for six months last year and is now moving up to welterweight. He is targeting a fight with Pacquiao and has offered the Filipino legend a shot at redemption after he lost his only previous fight in Australia to Jeff Horn back in 2017. Speaking to Main Event, Paro said: 'The legend, my favourite fighter Manny Pacquiao, is back in boxing. Man, get me in there. Bring him to Australia. 'I'm sure he wants to get one back on Suncorp (Stadium, where he lost to Horn). I'd be willing to offer that fight, very exciting.' Paro is just one of a number of contenders that could be picked by Pacquiao for his next fight. The 46-year-old has also been linked with a potential clash with newly elevated WBA champion Rolando 'Rolly' Romero, while Ryan Garcia has expressed interest in facing the eight-division world champion. But Paro is hoping to jump the queue as he starts his bid to become a two-weight titlist. 'I conquered the world at 140 and have been doing it since 18 years old, 29 now and it's getting a little bit harder to make the weight so we made the decision to go up and chase a title at welterweight,' Paro explained. 'I said it before, two-time has a ring (to it), but two-division champion has too, I'm keen to get it done.' A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Jeff Horn: Tszyu has power to knock out Fundora in Vegas rematch
He was the underdog Aussie who famously shocked Manny Pacquiao and now Jeff Horn has backed his one-time enemy Tim Tszyu to overcome his 'demons' and pull off another world-title ambush. The only man to have fought Pacquiao and Tszyu, Horn is well credentialed to assess the claims of both men, who will spearhead a blockbuster world-title card in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEST). Pacquiao faces Mario Barrios at age 46 for the WBC welterweight world title, while in the co-main, Tszyu will look to exact revenge in his super welterweight rematch against Sebastian Fundora at MGM Grand. Horn was hailed a national hero when he stunned Pacquiao in their world-title bout at Suncorp Stadium in 2017, only to be dethroned three years later by Tszyu, who dismantled 'The Hornet' in Townsville. Tszyu became the new poster boy for Australian boxing when he beat Jeff Horn in 2020. Picture: Alix Sweeney Tszyu became the new poster boy for Australian boxing after that win and Horn says his successor can use the scar tissue of his loss to Fundora last year to exact revenge on the 'Towering Inferno'. 'I think Tim has a lot of demons in his mind,' said Horn, the former WBO welterweight world champion who never fought again after losing to Tszyu in 2020. 'But those demons can bring out the best in Tim. 'He has experienced the best in the world and that's a good thing in a way, because he has been in the fire. 'Tim now knows what it can be like at the top level and I know he never wants to be in that position again. 'Tim underestimated Murtazaliev but he is a smart fighter and he won't make the same mistakes. 'Tim was on top of Fundora early in their first fight, I thought he was going to stop him easily until got unlucky with that massive head cut. Horn shocked the world with his defeat of Manny Pacquiao in 2017. 'He just has to box smart and I can see him chopping Fundora down to become a world champion again.' Horn is proof the vanquished can hit back and win a rematch. Two years after upsetting Pacquiao, Horn suffered a devastating ninth-round TKO loss to Michael Zerafa in Bendigo, but recovered four months later to win their Brisbane rematch by majority decision. Like Tszyu, Horn battled a bloodied face to pummel the 'Pretty Boy' and the Queenslander says the son of Kostya can take a leaf from his comeback book. 'I beat Zerafa in a rematch and I hope Tim can see you can come back from a loss,' Horn said. 'After losing to Zerafa, it gave me more grit and I pushed myself harder to get that win. 'Timmy can take what I've done in my career, have a different mindset for the rematch and thrive on what happened. 'He has to just forget that loss to Fundora and not let it affect him mentally.' Horn believes Tszyu has the power to knockout Sebastian Fundora. Now 37, Horn said he was surprised by Tszyu's strength in their showdown in Townsville and believes the 'Soul Taker' has the power to knockout Fundora. 'I didn't think Tim would be as good as he was,' said Horn, who was stopped in the eighth round by Tszyu. 'That was the fight I really underestimated. 'I thought I would be able to go in there and manhandle Tim, like I did with Manny, but I wasn't able to use my physical size at all. 'He simply outboxed me and Tim's power was good enough to put me away. 'If Tim is careful early and not reckless, he has the power to stop Fundora and depending on the way he wins, he could even unify the super welterweight division.' Peter Badel Chief Rugby League Writer Peter Badel is a six-time award winning journalist who began as a sports reporter in 1998. A best-selling author, 'Bomber' has covered five Australian cricket tours and has specialised in rugby league for more than two decades. @badel_cmail Peter Badel
News.com.au
18-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Australia's former world champion Jeff Horn says one-time rival Tim Tszyu can knockout Sebastian Fundora in their world-title rematch
He was the underdog Aussie who famously shocked Manny Pacquiao and now Jeff Horn has backed his one-time enemy Tim Tszyu to overcome his 'demons' and pull off another world-title ambush. The only man to have fought Pacquiao and Tszyu, Horn is well credentialed to assess the claims of both men, who will spearhead a blockbuster world-title card in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEST). Pacquiao faces Mario Barrios at age 46 for the WBC welterweight world title, while in the co-main, Tszyu will look to exact revenge in his super welterweight rematch against Sebastian Fundora at MGM Grand. Horn was hailed a national hero when he stunned Pacquiao in their world-title bout at Suncorp Stadium in 2017, only to be dethroned three years later by Tszyu, who dismantled 'The Hornet' in Townsville. Tszyu became the new poster boy for Australian boxing after that win and Horn says his successor can use the scar tissue of his loss to Fundora last year to exact revenge on the 'Towering Inferno'. 'I think Tim has a lot of demons in his mind,' said Horn, the former WBO welterweight world champion who never fought again after losing to Tszyu in 2020. 'But those demons can bring out the best in Tim. 'He has experienced the best in the world and that's a good thing in a way, because he has been in the fire. 'Tim now knows what it can be like at the top level and I know he never wants to be in that position again. 'Tim underestimated Murtazaliev but he is a smart fighter and he won't make the same mistakes. 'Tim was on top of Fundora early in their first fight, I thought he was going to stop him easily until got unlucky with that massive head cut. 'He just has to box smart and I can see him chopping Fundora down to become a world champion again.' Horn is proof the vanquished can hit back and win a rematch. Two years after upsetting Pacquiao, Horn suffered a devastating ninth-round TKO loss to Michael Zerafa in Bendigo, but recovered four months later to win their Brisbane rematch by majority decision. Like Tszyu, Horn battled a bloodied face to pummel the 'Pretty Boy' and the Queenslander says the son of Kostya can take a leaf from his comeback book. 'I beat Zerafa in a rematch and I hope Tim can see you can come back from a loss,' Horn said. 'After losing to Zerafa, it gave me more grit and I pushed myself harder to get that win. 'Timmy can take what I've done in my career, have a different mindset for the rematch and thrive on what happened. 'He has to just forget that loss to Fundora and not let it affect him mentally.' Now 37, Horn said he was surprised by Tszyu's strength in their showdown in Townsville and believes the 'Soul Taker' has the power to knockout Fundora. 'I didn't think Tim would be as good as he was,' said Horn, who was stopped in the eighth round by Tszyu. 'That was the fight I really underestimated. 'I thought I would be able to go in there and manhandle Tim, like I did with Manny, but I wasn't able to use my physical size at all. 'He simply outboxed me and Tim's power was good enough to put me away. 'If Tim is careful early and not reckless, he has the power to stop Fundora and depending on the way he wins, he could even unify the super welterweight division.'
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Terence Crawford eyes boxing immortality against Saúl Canelo Álvarez
Terence Crawford has never been to Australia before. That might seem a little strange. This is a man, after all, who was in tentative talks to fight Australian Tim Tszyu at one stage. He is also the man who comprehensively out-fought Jeff Horn and took his WBO welterweight belt in 2018. When Horn won that particular belt in a boilover victory against Manny Pacquiao at Lang Park, Crawford was keen to be in attendance as a future opponent for the winner. At that stage of his career, Crawford was already a world title winner at lightweight and unified champion at light welterweight. So what gives? "Well, I always wanted to visit Australia," Crawford tells ABC Sport, a smile lighting up his face. "Australia has been on my bucket list for a long time now. "I remember when Jeff Horn fought Manny Pacquiao I was supposed to come here and witness, but Top Rank said that my visa didn't get granted because of parking tickets." Seemingly, that's no longer an issue. Crawford was speaking to ABC Sport on the Gold Coast, the first leg of his whistlestop tour of Australia with events in Sydney and Melbourne to come. Just hours after touching down in the country for the first time, Crawford was amenable and relaxed as he settled down on a couch ahead of our interview, displaying no signs of jet lag. In fact, the 37-year-old's relaxed, friendly demeanour is almost incongruous with what the world knows he is capable of in the ominous squared circle where he has made his name one to both admire and fear. This is a man who has a perfect 41-0 record in the unforgiving glare of the boxing ring over a 17-year professional career. But, in so many ways, Crawford is a multi-faceted athlete, both in the ring and out. Crawford's home town of Omaha, Nebraska, was not an easy place to grow up. Crime, poverty and violence were daily issues young people had to face. Many people still have to face them. So, much in the same way he was saved from a troubled life by the peculiar sanctuary found within a boxing ring, he has provided a space for others in his home town to do the same. "What I'm doing with B&B Sports Academy is definitely trying to save one life at a time," Crawford says, leaning forward such is the earnestness with which he tells his tale. "You know, if I could save one [person], then I did my job. "Now, you're not going to be able to save all of them. Once some individuals get to a certain age, they're going to find their way in life and do whatever they want to do. "You, as a mentor, you can do it all, you can do everything that you can to help them stay on course and just give them talks and the guidance so that they would remember everything that you taught them along the way and do the right thing. "But another thing is giving them the opportunity to experience things that they normally wouldn't be able to experience because of financial reasons and other things. "So this thing that me and Brian McIntyre has been doing with B&B Boxing and B&B Sports Academy has been wonderful for the youth in the community as well." Boxing's capacity to assist wayward youths is well documented, wresting lives from the brink of the abyss and pushing them into untold glory. There are far more instances where boxers have not reached the heights of a world championship or an Olympic Games — and the issues fighters face after their career can be unspeakably devastating. Yet, it is a journey that has brought such incredible success for Crawford and established him as one of the all-time greats. When he stunningly took Errol Spence Junior apart across nine phenomenal rounds in 2023, Crawford became an undisputed world champion in a second-weight division. He had, earlier in his career, beaten unified light welterweight champion Julius Indoingo in 2017 to claim all four straps at light welterweight too. Being undisputed is not normal. In the four-belt era since 2008, just 11 men and 11 women have been so heralded. Being undisputed across two weights is virtually unheard of. Only Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue (bantamweight and super bantamweight) and Ukrainian talisman Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight and heavyweight) — aside from Crawford — have achieved it in men's boxing. Legendary Irishwoman Katie Taylor (lightweight and light welterweight) and Claressa Shields (middleweight, light middleweight and heavyweight) of the USA have done so in the women's ring. Few fighters in boxing history have been more skilled, more adaptable, in a ring than the man from Omaha, Nebraska. Ever since he won his first world title, the WBO lightweight crown, in a tinderbox atmosphere in Glasgow in 2014 against Ricky Burns, right through to his light middleweight victory against Israil Madrimov last year, Crawford has transferred his power, his speed and his trickery through the weight classes. But up next is Canelo Álvarez in a fight that could be one of the highest-earning pay-per-view fights in history and one of the most eagerly anticipated contests ever. Like Crawford, Canelo is a four-weight world champion and is currently undisputed at super middleweight. Crawford has made it his business to out-think and out-match all of his previous opponents, but Canelo poses an entirely different challenge. He has already beaten one of the 11 undisputed champions in his career, former light middleweight champ Jermell Charlo in 2023. "It's important to me because it's a challenge, in two ways," Crawford says. "It's a challenge because I'm fighting arguably one of the best Mexican fighters of all time and then it's a challenge because I'm moving up potentially three weight classes. "I say three because I was only at 154 [pounds, light middleweight] for one fight." "It's the opportunity to do something that no other men's fighter has done before and … to become a three-weight undisputed world champion." "I want him at his best," Crawford says, confirming there's no rehydration clause in the contract, meaning Canelo may well be several kilos heavier when they meet in the ring. "Because I don't want no excuses when I win. "[If] I get him at his best and there's no stipulations or guidelines, then I get more credit than, you know, having all these rehydration clauses and all this stuff. "He's the champion. I'm moving up to fight him in his division, so long as he makes weight, that's what it is." And what would victory mean?
