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Jeff Horn Stuns Manny Pacquiao In Brisbane Superfight

A huge boilover at Lang Park.
Aussie Jeff Horn has defeated Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane.
Chris Hyde via Getty Images
Aussie Jeff Horn has defeated Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane.

Australian Jeff Horn has upset boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, defeating the Filipino legend in their WBO welterweight bout in Brisbane.

The most hyped Aussie boxing match on record went all the way to the judges' scorecards, with Horn awarded a unanimous decision 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113.

Both men finished the clash bloodied after trading blows over 12 rounds of spectacular boxing action.

It was a stunning performance from underdog Horn, who went into the fight with pundits giving him little chance of matching it with boxing legend Pacquiao.

Before a giant crowd of more than 50,000 at Lang Park, Horn and Pacquiao sounded each other out in the opening rounds, with both men landing solid flurries of punches.

In round three, a small cut opened up over Horn's right eye as Pacquiao started to exert control over the fight, with one of his best rounds.

That dominance continued until round six when the Queenslander hit Pacquiao, bleeding from a head cut, with a powerful right in one of Horn's better rounds.

Horn continued to try to take the fight to Pacquiao in round seven after the champ sustained another cut on his forehead from a head clash.

The referee warned the Aussie challenger to "show something" at the end of nine round as Horn looked spent, before the 29-year-old rallied to go toe to toe with Pacquiao through the final rounds.

Horn came into the clash as a rank outsider to beat 38-year-old Pacquiao, who's regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

The surprise win over the Filipino great makes Horn the new WBO Welterweight champion, with a Horn-Pacquiao rematch possible later in the year.

After the fight, Horn said the big Lang Park crowd and his family had spurred him on. He also paid tribute to his fight team.

"I've just believed since I was very young that I could do this," he said. "And I'd like to thank my trainer Glenn Rushton I've been with him since day dot."

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Aussie Jeff Horn has defeated Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane.Aussie Jeff Horn has defeated Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane.h

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