Internet reacts to Pacquiao vs Horn: some of the best and the worst

In case you’ve been living under a rock (or without any signal), you might have missed that eight-division world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao lost in a unanimous decision to younger Jeff Horn in London last Sunday.

Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) beat Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the WBO world welterweight title Sunday at Suncorp Stadium in the latter’s hometown of Brisbane, Australia.

Since the fight last Sunday, the world has weighed in on the decision, and the comments run from both positive to…well, you decide for yourself:

Some praised Horn for a good bout and a well-deserved win, like boxer Sergio Mora.

Boxing Writer’s Association member and PH journalist Ryan Songalia commented on the Aussie’s skill.

Others had something less charitable to say, with a lot of the comments leaning towards Pacquiao “getting robbed,” like Robert Flores, a sports announcer.

ESPN also seems to think that the score should have made Pacquiao the winner:

While the commentary on the decision is currently underway, other people have mentioned other reasons why Pacquiao lost, the most notable of them all Bob Arum, who has been promoting Pacquiao’s fights. According to Rappler.com, Arum said, “I think you cannot spend so much time as a senator and expect to be a world class fighter.”

Pacquiao had been elected Senator in the Philippines and was active in his legislative duties since assuming office last June.

As for the legions of devoted Pacquiao fans, the vitriol could not be any more real. Thanks to the controversy of the decision, some unfortunate comments have been directed to Horn’s wife through his Instagram account:

One commenter went so far as to call Joanna Horn, Jeff’s pregnant wife a “pig.” Most of the negative comments mention his wife’s body type, how she looks and her age.

Other netizens came to the rescue and called out the rude commenters, with some Filipinos apologizing for some of the vitriol thrown in their own language.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, was graceful in defeat. He posed with his wife, Jinkee, after the fight and congratulated the winner.

Why the hate?

Thanks to Pacquiao’s extraordinary career as a fighter, he has a legion of fans not only in his home country of the Philippines but also around the world.

From his humble origins as a bread vendor on the streets, he’s become the first boxer in history to win ten world titles in eight divisions. Named “Fighter of the Decade,” he has also won against bigger men such as Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

A lot of fans around the world admire the champion’s rags-to-riches story along with this athleticism and prowess. He won neatly in last years’ PH senatorial elections. He trains and fights during the Philippine Senates off-season.

So when the fight’s decision made a lot of people upset, it brought out some of the meanest lurkers online.

The Guardian, on the other hand, mentioned that Jeff Horn’s win imitates art, as the fight looked like Horn was taking up the role of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky.

Horn has a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Griffith in Australia. He used to work in a child care center.

What do you think of the reactions to the Horn’s win? Let us know in the comments.