Welterweight

It looks like all that betting money on Conor McGregor is justified after all. I apologize to McGregor and his entire team and family.

Because the final word has come in, and it's not exceptionally charitable to McGregor's opponent, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. That's right. Justin Bieber has weighed in. 

In a new video from TMZ Sports, Bieber is asked by a quote-hungry paparazzo whether Mayweather will score a knockout on the UFC champion, who is making his pro boxing debut. 

"I don't think so," comes Bieber's reply, before trying to soften it with, "I think it'll be a good fight." 

I see you, though, Justin. Pretty cold-blooded stuff, given that you've walked to the ring with Mayweather and The Money Team before. Is there more to the story? Did they break up? I hope TMZ Sports keeps an eye on this.

McGregor is currently a +350 underdog (bet $100 to win $350) in the fight, according to OddsShark. He faces Mayweather August 26 in Las Vegas.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor have reportedly submitted requests to the Nevada State Athletic Commission requesting to wear eight-ounce gloves for their Aug. 26 boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. 

According to ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto, the move to eight-ounce gloves, if approved, would represent a shift from NSAC rules that require fighters weighing in above 147 pounds to duke it out with 10-ounce mitts. 

McGregor and Mayweather will reportedly appear in front of NSAC commissioners Aug. 16 to make their pitches in favor of the move to eight-ounce gloves. 

"The commission will hear both camps' reasoning as to why it should deviate from its regulations during a scheduled meeting on Aug. 16," NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said, per Okamoto. "Our chairman Anthony Marnell will then lead a conversation with the other commission members and they will vote on it that day."

Mayweather previously stated he would be content to fight with eight-ounce gloves. He also went so far as to tell McGregor during their press tour he'd enter the ring donning four-ounce gloves that UFC fighters typically wear, according to Showtime Boxing's Mauro Ranallo. 

But as Okamoto noted, the NSAC will have to determine the fighters won't be at greater risk of injury in order to approve a last-minute change to lighter gloves. 

Fans of Conor McGregor reportedly harassed Floyd Mayweather Jr. outside of the SSE Arena in London after the last press conference of the fighters' world tour, swarming Money's Rolls-Royce as he tried to leave.

TMZ Sports reported the news and also shared this video, in which Mayweather's car appeared to hit a member of the security team as he tried to escape (warning: video NSFW):

Mayweather and McGregor embarked on a four-day press tour to promote their bout Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, and it finished in London on Friday. UFC President Dana White correctly predicted Mayweather's reception in England, as the crowd had been on the Irishman's side throughout the tour, per UFC commentator Jon Anik:

"If (Mayweather) can't get some support here in Brooklyn, London's not gonna be nice for him either."- Dana White ...correct.

— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) July 13, 2017

Per CNN's Nicholas Glass, the tour accomplished its purpose, attracting tons of new fans and adding to the gigantic purse.

At 49-0 for his career, Mayweather is the clear favourite inside the ring.

Despite rumors, Floyd Mayweather Jr. said Monday that he doesn't believe Conor McGregor was knocked out during a sparring session.

As seen in the following video courtesy of Villainfy Media, boxer Jessie Vargas said last week that the reigning UFC lightweight champion was dropped by his sparring partner (discusses it around the 2:05 mark):

According to Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, Mayweather responded by saying: "If I ain't seen no footage, I don't believe it ... me and Jessie Vargas are in communication."

The 29-year-old McGregor is 21-3 during his MMA career, but his clash with Mayweather on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas will be the first professional boxing match of his life.

McGregor has never lost in the Octagon via knockout, with all three of his defeats coming by way of submission.

During a recently concluded four-city press tour, Mayweather made light of that fact by calling McGregor "Mr. Tap Out."

Mayweather, 40, has never been knocked out as a professional either, as evidenced by his perfect 49-0 record.

During the press tour in Los Angeles, McGregor guaranteed he would knock out Mayweather within the first four rounds of their fight.

Mayweather's last knockout victory came in 2011, when he stopped Victor Ortiz in the fourth round.

Well, that was unexpected.

A bloody, thoroughly entertaining brawl between Manny Pacquiao and relatively unknown Australian boxer Jeff Horn was immediately soured on Sunday when it was announced the judges had unanimously given the bout to Horn, handing him the WBO world welterweight title in his first-ever championship fight.

Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole passed along the scorecards:

Scores: 117-111, 115-113 115-113 for @jeffhornboxer Horn is your new WBO welterweight champion. WOW

— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) July 2, 2017

The decision was hugely controversial and will likely be discussed at length for quite a while. The bout was broadcast on ESPN, putting Pacquiao, a boxer with worldwide appeal who has been a pay-per-view staple for years, in front of basic-cable audiences. The bout made for great television, with much more action than the (very expensive) Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather megafight, a totally locked in crowd and tons of bloody drama.

The stats also underscore just how astonishing the decision was to award the 29-year-old Horn a belt the very first time he faced anyone other than a no-name pro. ESPN Stats & Info had a visual breakdown: 

Final punch statistics favored Manny Pacquiao, but Jeff Horn won WBO welterweight championship #PacquiaoHorn pic.twitter.com/ZxMIeH88hU

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 2, 2017

Pacquiao out-hit Horn in all four quadrants, and CompuBox noted that Pacquiao landed more punches in 11 of the 12 rounds. 

But perhaps Horn was much more accurate? Or was superior in power punches? Not so, according to CompuBox:

Final Punch Stats: Jeff Horn def. Manny Pacquiao by Unan. Dec. Pacquiao out landed Horn, 182-92. Horn landed just 15% of his total punches. pic.twitter.com/dImHXkowyO

— CompuBox (@CompuBox) July 2, 2017

Despite the perplexing decision, Pacquiao was courteous in defeat.

"That's the decision of the judges. I respect that," Pacquiao said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. The 38-year-old Filipino legend also said he would be open to facing Horn again.

"Absolutely, yes," Pacquiao said, per Rafael. "We have a rematch clause, so no problem."

While Pacquiao took the judges' decision in stride, it was too much to handle for many of those observing the match. The Big Lead's Ryan Phillips felt the decision was "absolutely criminal" and had a very different personal scorecard: 

"In the end, the judges returned their near-criminal verdict: 117-111, 115-113, 115-113 all for Horn. It was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen and another example of why people don't take combat sports seriously anymore. Pacquiao won that fight, there is absolutely no question about it. My final card had it 116-111 for the Filipino star, that included a 10-8 round in the ninth."

Bad Left Hook's Scott Christ called it a robbery:

https://twitter.com/scottchristBLH/status/881385116001591296

By contrast, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden felt the fight was closer than the broadcasters made it seem:

I had Manny Pacquiao in a close fight. But the real problem was ESPN's biased commentary that had the fight for Manny by a huge margin.

— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) July 2, 2017

I'm always amazed at how easily people are influenced by announcers. Watch the fight carefully and you can draw your own conclusions.

— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) July 2, 2017

A key point in the bout was the ninth round. Horn appeared completely shot, barely raising his arms to defend himself, let alone to punch. Pacquiao had him on the run for almost all three minutes and landed perhaps a dozen very clean, very powerful punches. The final bell saved Horn, but the fact that Pacquiao was not able to finish him off was telling. 

The Guardian's DJ Gallo has more:

"Pacquiao's chance to keep the decision out of the judges' hands came and went in that 9th Round when he had Horn on the brink of a knockout. He couldn't get the bigger Australian on the mat before the bell rang and when the 10th came around, Pacquiao didn't appear to have much left to finish the job. Maybe it's because he's 38 and doesn't have knockout strength in him anymore, especially not to take down a much younger opponent. It's been eight years since he's ended a fight by knockout, after all..."

Indeed it's not hard to imagine a slightly younger Pacquiao cutting Horn down with ease in the ninth, or at the very least finishing the job in the 10th. In fact, referee Mark Nelson very nearly did the job for him.

He could be clearly seen and heard on the ESPN broadcast walking over to Horn's corner after the ninth, telling the battered fighter "you've had enough. Show me something in this round or I'm stopping the fight," per News.com.au's James Matthey.

But Horn found a last bit of strength and energy and survived to the final bell, putting the decision in the judges' hands. 

Horn deserves plenty of credit for his performance, whether or not one agrees with the judges. He took on one of boxing's best, albeit well beyond his prime, and was aggressive throughout the match. There was no fear fighting in front of tens of thousands of fans for the first time, with worldwide attention and a championship belt on the line.

The heavy underdog made the fight much closer than many expected, using his size advantage and an awkward rhythm to keep Pacquiao from getting into a groove for most rounds. For a guy who has only faced mediocre competition to this point and started boxing professionally just four years ago, it was a remarkable showing.

That said, Pacquiao was the cleaner puncher throughout and rarely, if at all, looked like he was overwhelmed by what the Brisbane native was throwing at him. Sure, it was clear that Pac-Man is no longer the hurricane of fists and fury he was in his prime, but he's still a fine boxer and counterpuncher. He scored unanimous-decision victories over fine pros like Jessie Vargas and Timothy Bradley Jr. just last year.

Age can sap fighters (or any athletes really) of their skill set and athleticism seemingly overnight, but Pacquiao still has enough to beat the likes of Horn. Many will say he did just that on Sunday, but the judges took it away from him.

If Pacquiao really is committed to a rematch, perhaps he should do it quickly, before his abilities fade even further.

Though it's far from the biggest boxing event of the year, Saturday's encounter between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, could have sportwide implications.

Pacquiao and his WBO welterweight championship can't compete with Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming out of retirement to take on Conor McGregor in August, even if it isn't the purest matchup from a sheer boxing standpoint.

But Pac-Man's future in the sport might swing in the balance Saturday regardless of hype. Ditto for Horn, who could propel himself to superstardom in front of a friendly crowd by taking down a legend.

It won't do numbers anywhere close to Mayweather-McGregor, even as a broadcasted event, but Saturday's bout might be just as important.

         

Pacquiao vs. Horn

What: WBO welterweight title bout

Where: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia

When: Saturday, July 1

Time: 9 p.m. ET

National TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Odds: Pacquiao 1-6, Horn 19-4

Odds are courtesy of OddsShark

            

Can Manny Pacquiao finish Jeff Horn and revamp his career? Or will Horn score a big upset?

We find out Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/28X2DhNZb2

— ESPN (@espn) June 30, 2017

As seen above, oddsmakers out of Las Vegas don't give Horn much of a chance.

The approach makes sense, though it'd be remiss not to mention how odd this is for Pacquiao.

After all—Pacquiao is 38 years old. After going down at the hands of Mayweather in May 2015, he pursued the political realm in his native Philippines again and also polished off a series against Timothy Bradley before running circles around Jessie Vargas late last year.

But Horn isn't what most had in mind if Pacquiao decided to take another fight. Conventional wisdom suggested someone like Amir Khan, not someone like Horn at a place like Brisbane on an event not even classified as pay-per-view.

It's not even about the money. Pacquiao will make a cool $10 million compared to Horn's $500,000 before tacking on ticket sales, per Grantlee Kieza of the Courier Mail, but it's not a head-turning purse for a legend of the sport.

Yet here we are.

After Friday's weigh-in, Pacquiao wasn't shy in praising his opponent, according to Gilbert Manzano of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "We wanted to give Horn a chance. He's undefeated. He has earned it."

Same story for a Horn practice session that Pacquiao watched, as captured by Top Rank:

When @MannyPacquiaoTR slipped into a @JeffHornBoxer training session, well, the champ liked what he saw. #PacHorn pic.twitter.com/x0h6YtZQnO

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 28, 2017

Though he doesn't think Pacquiao will lose Saturday night in front of more than 50,000 expected fans, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said they picked Horn for good reason, per Manzano.

"This is not a case where my matchmakers picked out a fighter and put him in a fight. This is the case where I saw the kid (Horn) fight myself in New Zealand. I'm telling you, this kid can fight," Arum said.

Horn, a former physical education teacher, is 29 years old and a winner in 16 of his 17 career fights, his lone draw coming back in 2013. Most recently, he dropped Ali Funeka via knockout in December.

Horn himself won't lack for confidence heading into Saturday, and he said he has more to draw from than the home crowd.

"I haven't cut any corners for this fight; I have worked extremely hard, and I enjoy reading the comments of people saying 'he's no chance,' 'he can't match the speed of Pacquiao,' this and that. I just look forward to proving those people wrong," Horn said, according to ESPN.com's Jake Michaels.

And from an on-paper standpoint, an upset isn't a complete impossibility. Horn has only been a pro since 2013 and hasn't stepped into the ring with a fighter of Pacquiao's quality before, but he's almost a decade younger and has some nice speed.

Pair it with Pacquiao having lost a step, his chin's failed him twice dating back to 2012 and he isn't 100 percent committed to the sport anymore, and yes, this has all the ingredients of a possible upset that writers in Hollywood would dream up.

When it comes down to prediction time, it's still best to side with the safe route rolled out by oddsmakers and side with Pacquiao.

There's a randomness to Horn sure to draw in bettors hunting for a big payday. He hasn't been tested before at this level of competition, and Pacquiao is both slower and is no longer the knockout king of his prime.

Barring a shocker in the early rounds, though, it's hard to see a reality in which Pacquiao doesn't outpoint the less experienced Horn for the duration of the match.      

Prediction: Pacquiao via unanimous decision

At this late stage of his career, Manny Pacquiao isn't afraid to try something new. The WBO world welterweight champion has fought 67 times in his professional career, in the United States, Japan, Thailand, Macau and his native Philippines, but this weekend, he's fighting in a new place.

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 knockouts) will turn the boxing world's attention toward the unlikely location of Australia on Saturday (Sunday local time) when he defends his title against Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

In the United States, the fight will be live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes starting at 9 p.m. ET. Live streaming is available through WatchESPN. Per ESPN.com, Australian coverage is through the pay-per-view platform Foxtel.

Here's the televised undercard for the event, per CBSSports.com's Kevin Skiver:

• Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Jarrett Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), super bantamweight
• Jerwin Ancajas (26-1-1, 17 KOs) vs. Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), super flyweight
• Shane Mosley Jr. (10-1-0, 7 KOs) vs David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), super middleweight

The location is good news for Horn, a Brisbane native. Pacquiao, who has strung together strong wins over Jessie Vargas and Timothy Bradley Jr. since his loss to Floyd Mayweather, will be the biggest challenge of his career by far, and the odds are against him.

According to OddsShark, Horn is a 4-1 underdog and Pacquiao a 1-6 favorite. Those aren't terribly steep, and they likely speak to Horn's fresh, ready approach and the fact that the wheels might fall off Pacquiao at any time considering he's 38 and hasn't scored a knockout since 2009.

Horn is nine years younger than Pacquiao and undefeated to this point in his career, but it will likely take his best effort and the full support of what should be a massive hometown crowd to defeat the tenacious eight-division champion. 

At Friday's weigh-in, Pacquiao weighed 146 pounds, per Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole, while Horn tipped the scales at 147 pounds. Pacquiao avoided addressing the media at the weigh-in, per the Australian Associated Press (via ESPN.com), but Horn was fairly open about the process and what he's focusing on to topple his legendary opponent.

"I keep going over this 10-point plan that Glenn's done up for me," he said, referring to trainer Glenn Rushton, per the AAP. "I just keep that in my mind, what I'm going to have to do in the ring, which will upset Manny."

Horn is coming off a good string of results, having forced stoppages in his last three matches, but he's only been a pro since 2013. He's a complete newcomer to the international frenzy that follows any Pacquiao fight, and though the latter has been focused on plenty beyond boxing over the past few years, he's still one of the best talents around. 

Bloody Elbow's Fraser Coffeen believes Pacquiao is still at least a couple levels above Horn: 

"Like I said, there are questions about Pacquiao's focus on boxing, and rightly so. But there's also absolutely no reason to think Jeff Horn is the fighter to translate that lack of focus into victory over the senator. Pacquiao remains one of the best talents in the game - neither Timothy Bradley nor Jessie Vargas are bad fighters by any wild stretch of the imagination, but Pac made both look levels below him just last year. Horn is pretty clearly a level below them, so it's hard to envision him having any more success."

Though Horn is Pacquiao's least notable opponent in quite some time, he's not taking the bout any less seriously. A loss or even just a ragged, poor showing in victory here would lead many to question his viability as one of the sport's superstars, and it would make it very difficult for him to get another premier opponent, should he choose to extend his career. 

Per BoxNation, the southpaw is getting at it in training: 

https://twitter.com/boxnationtv/status/880856244143226880

It's easy to see the fight going one of two ways: Pacquiao comes out guns blazing, looking to overwhelm Horn and prove that he hasn't lost his fire or much of his skill set. Or, knowing Horn has every reason to come out swinging while there is plenty more at stake for him, the Filipino fighter comes out tight and cautious and has to scrap his way to a points victory. 

A victory for Horn, of course, isn't out of the realm of possibility, but when it's all said and done, Pacquiao should come away with a points win with a three- or four-round cushion.

Manny Pacquiao may no longer be the headliner he once was during the prime of his career, but the 38-year-old welterweight and future Hall of Famer returns to the ring Saturday night against little-known Australian Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao (59-6-2) is doing so on Horn's home turf in Brisbane, Australia, at Suncorp Stadium. Horn (16-0-1) has beaten a couple of impressive fighters in Randall Bailey and Ali Funeka to earn the fight against the Filipino legend.

Pacquiao was victorious in his last bout against Jessie Vargas last November, and that fight demonstrated that he still has his excellent boxing skills. That is going to make it very difficult for Horn to launch any kind of consistent attack.

Pacquiao is a minus-550 favorite, according to OddsShark, meaning that a bettor would have to risk $550 to earn a $100 profit as a result of a Pacquiao victory. Horn is a plus-420 underdog.

Pacquiao has not earned a victory via a knockout or stoppage since 2008, and that was clearly not the case when he was in his heyday. Pacquiao has registered 38 knockouts in his career, but his fans haven't been able to see him show off that once-formidable power several years.

https://twitter.com/boxnationtv/status/881150654164549632

Pacquiao is putting his boxing skills on display on live television. The fight will be held Sunday afternoon local time in eastern Australia and will be broadcast on ESPN. The boxing broadcast begins at 9 p.m. ET Saturday.

Pacquiao's greatest assets at this point in his career appear to be his speed, defense and overall ring generalship. Horn has shown some power and aggressiveness, and that could leave him vulnerable to getting caught with several combinations if he is not able to connect with Pacquiao on a consistent basis.

Pacquiao says that he is happy that his fight is available on basic cable because it will give more fans a chance to see him fight than it would on pay-per-view.

"Yes, this is a great opportunity to show the fans of boxing that we are still here and not done in boxing," Pacquiao said, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. "So this is a good chance and we believe that a lot of people will be watching, and we spoke to [Top Rank promoter] Bob [Arum] and we decided to give the people a chance to watch the fight on a free station in America."

A crowd in the range of 55,000 to 60,000 is expected to attend the event, and nearly all will be cheering for Horn, their hometown hero.

Pacquiao says fighting in front of a crowd that will be cheering for his opponent doesn't bother him in the least, and it will just cause him to "focus" that much more.

Keep up with Manny Pacquiao 😳🥊 @BoxNationTV pic.twitter.com/tztbCHAwZX

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) June 30, 2017

    

Prediction

Pacquiao is no longer the fighter he was at the peak of his career, but he is still a fine technician and ring general who can beat all but the most elite fighters in the game.

Horn has some ability along with power, but he is not an elite competitor. While he will have the full support of the home crowd, it seems unlikely that he will find the range consistently against Pacquiao.

Pacquiao's ability to punch from different angles will confuse his opponent. While Horn has studied his opponent to prepare for the fight, it's quite a different thing when Pacquiao is right in front of him and winging his punches with abandon.

Pacquiao could register a knockdown or two in this fight, but the outcome will likely result in a decision.

Pacquiao should win it in decisive fashion, and it would be a surprise if Horn won more than three rounds on the judges' scorecards. 

Manny Pacquiao will put his WBO welterweight title on the line when he steps into the ring against Jeff Horn at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, on Sunday.

The fight looks set to be something of a mismatch, though, so the belt may not be at much risk, but former school teacher Horn will have his eyes set on a sensational upset of the veteran. 

Taking into account the 14-hour time difference, coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday (2 a.m. BST on Sunday), with the main event starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 a.m. BST).

     

Preview

Pacquiao has moved on from his defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015, beating both Timothy Bradley and Jessie Vargas last year, with the latter victory allowing him to reclaim his WBO title.

The 38-year-old will be comfortably the biggest test of Horn's career, with the 29-year-old yet to fight outside his home country or neighbouring New Zealand.

It looks set to be a one-sided affair, but Pacquiao is nevertheless treating the bout seriously. He told the Courier-Mail's Grantlee Kieza: "In all my years of boxing, I have never been as motivated and fired up as this fight. My team is very happy with my preparation. I am looking forward to this and I will be going home as world champion."

He also stoked the fires ahead of the clash with some fierce words, per sports reporter Mav Gonzales:

Pacquiao on opponent Horn who is former teacher: It's good that he's a teacher. I'm a teacher in the ring.

— Mav Gonzales (@mavgonzales) June 27, 2017

Pac-Man offered a glimpse of his preparation for the contest on Twitter, and his trademark speed was still evident:

https://twitter.com/mannypacquiao/status/879502952318214145

Horn is unbeaten over 17 fights in his career, but Pacquiao is several cuts above anyone he's faced thus far.

The Australian is nevertheless relishing the prospect of taking him on in the ring, per Camille B. Naredo of ABS-CBN News: "I've trained the hardest that I've ever had for this fight. To finally get in the ring and show what I've done is all I want to do at this stage. I've finished all the hard work, and I'm just ready to show that in the ring."

He also believes his size and youth "might show" as the fight wears on and he has modelled his plan for the fight based on Juan Manuel Marquez's knockout defeat of Pacquiao in 2012: "That Marquez knockout has been our main point. Marquez fought Pacquiao the best that anyone has fought Pacquiao. So he's someone that we have looked at a lot. To land the same punch that Marquez did in the fight—the big overhand right—that's definitely what we're looking for."

As well as the leap in quality of Horn's opponent, he will also have to adjust to competing in front of a much bigger crowd than normal, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael:

Horn sounds as excited as can be for chance to fight Pacquiao. Crowd will be about 55k. Biggest crowd for 1 of his fights b4 was about 10k.

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) June 27, 2017

What could help in that regard is that despite Pacquiao's popularity and legendary status, the majority of the crowd are likely to get behind the Brisbane native.

Nevertheless, such is the gulf in class between the two, it remains difficult to envision anything other than a win for the Filipino.

Pacquiao has not managed a knockout victory since 2009, so like his wins in the intervening years, it would not be a surprise if the fight went the distance. If it does, expect a unanimous decision in his favour.

Scorecard prediction: Pacquiao wins via unanimous decision, 117-111, 116-112, 118-110

Jeff Horn's attempt to take the WBO Welterweight championship off Manny Pacquiao will highlight a four-bout fight card at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium in Australia on Saturday, July 1 (Sunday, July 2 for UK viewers).

One of the feature bouts on the undercard will involve Teiru Kinoshita facing Jerwin Ancajas, with the IBF World Junior Bantamweight title at stake.

Before a closer look at the schedule, here are some time and viewing details, including the pay-per-view start time:

        

PPV Start Time: Saturday, July 1 9 p.m. ET (U.S.).

TV: ESPN

The main event will also be broadcast on BoxNation in the UK, and it's set to start at 2 a.m. BST Sunday, July 2.

     

Fight Card

The schedule for the fight card is as follows, per Jordan Davies of The Sun:

Shane Mosley Jr. vs. David Toussaint

Jerwin Ancajas vs. Teiru Kinoshita

Michael Conlan vs. Jarrett Owen

Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn (11:30 pm. ET, Saturday) (4:30 a.m. BST, Sunday)

     

The fight's promoter, Dean Lonergan recently discussed ticket sales, per Grantlee Kieza of the Courier-Mail: "We've now sold 45,000 tickets and are on track to top 50,000. The response to the fight has been sensational and Jeff Horn is being rewarded for that."

Meanwhile, Mav Gonzalez of Philippines-based morning news show Unang Balita (h/t GMA News Online) has reported "only about 1,000 tickets are left available online so organisers are planning to add standing room-only tickets."

         

Preview

It would be ridiculous to ignore how heavily favoured Pacquiao is headed into this fight. Yet it's also worth noting the 38-year-old hasn't "stopped an opponent since his 12th round TKO of Miguel Cotto in 2009," per Agence France-Presse (h/t Sky Sports).

This fact from recent history suggests a points win is inevitable for Pacquiao. However, he will have to be fully focused against a game fighter in Horn.

The Australian is a big hitter, and he may have a slight advantage over Pacquiao, as he is coming into the fight "as much as 7kg heavier," per Kieza of the Courier-Mail.

Extra weight can translate to more formidable punching power, provided Horn can land key shots against Pacquiao. The veteran's footwork and movement aren't as swift and nimble as they once were, but he still knows how to set the pace in a fight and should corner Horn to land the telling body shots and hooks sure to wear the home fighter down.

If there is a chance of Pacquiao being distracted, it could come from looking too far ahead and beyond Horn. On the surface, what comes next for Pacquiao after Brisbane is unclear.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told Steve Kim of BoxingScene.com: "Look, after the fight—assuming he wins—we're going to sit with Freddie (Roach) and Justin (Fortune) and figure out who we can put him with next. Can we put him in with an elite fighter next? I don't know."

Arum may be unsure about what the immediate future holds for Pacquiao, but the fighter's trainer, Freddie Roach, is certain. Roach made clear who Pacquiao wants to fight next, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "Manny is in a must-win situation. He wants a rematch with Mayweather."

Wanting to make amends for his defeat in a damp squib against Mayweather in 2015 is understandable from Pacquiao. Yet beating Horn comes first, meaning the Pac-Man can't allow himself to lose focus in Brisbane.

It's unlikely even a part-distracted Pacquiao will lose to Horn, even if the latter will be determined to take his more illustrious opponent the distance in front of home support.

Expect a late stoppage in one of the final two rounds or a unanimous points decision in favour of Pacquiao.