“He’s not really good but he’s really strong,” Pacquiao said of Horn on Monday, while the Filipino’s camp criticised the referee for supposedly allowing the undefeated Australian to get away with a host of illegal tactics.
“The problem here is that the referee, I don’t know if he did it deliberately or he just did not have experience, he just allowed it and did not even give any warning for how many times,” Pacquiao said.
“It’s as if the referee wanted to help my opponent.”
Philippine officials organized a free public viewing of the fight in Southern Marawi City. The event gave thousands of displaced residents, troops and police an opportunity to take a break from the siege of Islamic militants, who have transformed parts of the city into a disastrous war zone.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 02: Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Jeff Horn of Australia exchange punches during the WBO World Welterweight Title Fight at Suncorp Stadium on July 2, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)