The road ahead for Jeff Horn
The latest controversial figure in the world of professional boxing has a tough road ahead. The newly crowned WBO Welterweight Champion has his work cut out for him in the upcoming months and year to erase the fury surrounded by the critically panned title victory decision in his favor over future boxing Hall of Famer and fan favorite, Manny Pacquiao. While the WBO has announced that they will be re-scoring the fight, the decision will not change and the title will stay with Horn. Ultimately, the re-scoring of the contest will theoretically cause even more frustration among fans and analysts as the new result could potentially favor Manny Pacquiao and solidify that the wrong man was awarded the championship. I am not upset with Jeff Horn. He showed tremendous heart and toughness in his outing against a legend and showed a lot of class and character before, during and after the fight. He was not scoring the fight. Horn was only doing what he could do and that was to fight to the best of his ability. At the end of the day, Jeff Horn is your WBO Welterweight Champion whether anyone likes it or not. There are a few options for the new champion to earn his place in the ranks of the best welterweights as a true champion.
The first the comes to mind is an immediate rematch with Manny Pacquiao. If Horn can avenge this bout with a decisive knockout or decision over Pacquiao in a rematch, it will silence some of the doubters and lessen some of the backlash in the media. Horn can also prove himself by challenging Keith Thurman and Errol Spence, the number one and number two recognized welterweights at the top of the division and holders of the other World Welterweight Titles. Despite holding the WBO title, getting to a matchup with either one of these could also involve defeating some other viable contenders like a Shawn Porter, Kell Brook or Danny Garcia, who have sizable resumes and have earned their respective spots. The only true way that Jeff Horn can silence the critics is to fight and win without question. The spotlight is now on Mr. Horn in a big way. We'll all be watching to see what happens next.
The first the comes to mind is an immediate rematch with Manny Pacquiao. If Horn can avenge this bout with a decisive knockout or decision over Pacquiao in a rematch, it will silence some of the doubters and lessen some of the backlash in the media. Horn can also prove himself by challenging Keith Thurman and Errol Spence, the number one and number two recognized welterweights at the top of the division and holders of the other World Welterweight Titles. Despite holding the WBO title, getting to a matchup with either one of these could also involve defeating some other viable contenders like a Shawn Porter, Kell Brook or Danny Garcia, who have sizable resumes and have earned their respective spots. The only true way that Jeff Horn can silence the critics is to fight and win without question. The spotlight is now on Mr. Horn in a big way. We'll all be watching to see what happens next.
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