Jeff Horn
Brisbane: Australian challenger Jeff Horn has made a massive blunder by not training against superior sparring partners in the United States in preparation for Sunday's title fight, Manny Pacquiao's team says.
The legendary 38-year-old Filipino, one of the greatest fighters of his generation, is widely tipped to overcome the unbeaten Horn in front of an expected 50,000 people at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.
Pacquiao's Australian strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune said yesterday the 'Fighting Schoolteacher' hasn't done his homework and will be outclassed by the master eight-weight world champion.
"Manny is one of the greats and Jeff Horn is in a different league," former heavyweight Fortune told reporters.
"If Manny puts his mind to it he destroys anybody in the world. He's busted up some of the greats. Jeff Horn is the guy to knock out and we're in the hurt business."
Fortune, who once fought against Lennox Lewis, said Horn should have spent eight weeks in America against the best available sparring partners.
Fortune said he gave Horn no chance of causing a major boilover against the warrior known as 'Pac Man'.
"People say 'well, Manny hasn't knocked anyone out in years' but these are AAA guys, with pro-level experience, current or former world champions," Fortune said.
Horn defended his training strategy, saying he was more than happy using Amonsot, who is ranked number three with the World Boxing Association at junior welterweight (140lb, 63kg).
"It's very hard for anyone to copy the style of Pacquiao but we got the closest thing out there that we could," Horn said.
