Join today and you can easily save your favourite articles, join in the conversation and comment, plus select which news your want direct to your inbox.
Join today and you can easily save your favourite articles, join in the conversation and comment, plus select which news your want direct to your inbox.
Trainer Freddie Roach believes Manny Pacquiao can no longer balance his duties as a Filipino senator and a fighter and will have a heart-to-heart about his future in coming days.
Hawthorn recruit Tyrone Vickery and former Richmond hardman Jake King have been arrested for alleged extortion and threats. Vision courtesy Seven News, Melbourne.
AFL diversity manager Ali Fahour has arrived at the Northern League office ahead of a tribunal hearing that could determine if he ever plays football again. Vision courtesy Seven News, Melbourne.
Bernard Tomic failed to look menacing in his first round as he suffered an early elimination at the hands of Mischa Zverev, while Thompson tried to topple Vinolas and Del Potro knocked Kokkinakas out after four sets.
Up Next
Tour de France 2017: Sagan disqualified during stage four
The AFL Tribunal will be required for the second time in two weeks, this time to consider Melbourne midfielder Tomas Bugg's charge of striking Sydney's Callum Mills.
Up Next
Aston Villa signs former Chelsea captain John Terry
While Australia celebrated American commentator Teddy Atlas wasn't so impressed with the Pacquiao versus Horn result.
And the Pacquiao camp admit they sold Horn short in the lead-up to the fight, with the Brisbane slugger a far more physical and tougher opponent than they had ever envisaged.
Pacquiao was stunned by Jeff Horn in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon, losing his WBO welterweight title in a torrid 12-round battle that ended with both men sporting deep cuts and Horn winning by unanimous decision.
Neither would appear at the news conference but Roach spoke in the dressing room about the future of the 38-year-old 11-time world champion and a scorecard that many around the world thought was controversial.
Roach wasn't particularly militant on that front, saying he was disappointed officials allowed Horn to be so rough in the clinches but felt Pacquiao needed to finish the job in the ninth. Outside of that, Roach conceded, he didn't offer a consistent enough threat.
Advertisement
"Overall I thought it was a good fight. I thought Horn fought very well. He was a little bit rougher than I thought he'd be, a little more physical then I thought he'd be," Roach said. "I thought it was a pretty close fight. Manny had a very good round in the ninth, I thought it was a two-point round. I asked him to give me another one of them, but he couldn't do it and we lost the decision.
You will now receive updates fromSport Newsletter
Sport Newsletter
Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox.
"I'm not a judge. It's very hard to sit that close. There's a lot going on. It's hard for me to judge a fight. The thing is, I hear a lot of people thought it was controversial, thought Manny won. But we have to live with that, have a rematch maybe. I hope so. I don't see any reason we can't come back here. It's good for boxing."
"I'm not a judge. It's very hard to sit that close. There's a lot going on.": Freddie Roach. Photo: Getty Images
Roach had been critical of Pacquiao's early training and was playing catch-up when he arrived in the Philippines. Now, the wildly successful duo must face some hard facts about his future in the ring.
"I'm going to have a long talk with him over that. I think being a senator, being a fighter, it's maybe too much."
Pacquiao's Australian conditioning coach Justin Fortune was less charitable to the judges and referee but freely admitted Horn surpassed anything they thought he could have.
"Yes. Absolutely. Jeff fought 100 times better than he will ever fight again. This is Pacquiao. He lifted himself, with 50,000 Australians screaming. he did well. He came back every round," Fortune said.
0 comments
New User? Sign up