WBO review rules Horn beat Pacquiao

 Jeff Horn (left) of Australia fights Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines  in Brisbane on July 2. Australian Jeff Horn's shock welterweight title  victory over Manny Pacquiao was confirmed on July 11 after a scoring  review by the World Boxing Organization 

 Australian  Jeff Horn's shock welterweight title victory over Manny Pacquiao was  confirmed Tuesday after a scoring review by the World Boxing  Organization declared him the clear winner.The  WBO took a close look at the fight after Pacquiao, backed by the  Philippine government's sports regulatory body, criticised the referee  and the judges and demanded a review after losing in Brisbane on July 2.Horn  stunned the Filipino legend -- who has won world titles in an  unprecedented eight weight divisions -- with his ultra-aggressiveness to  earn a unanimous 12-round decision.The  WBO -- which does not have the power to reverse a decision unless fraud  or law violations are proven -- set up a panel of independent and  anonymous judges who were asked to watch the bout without sound and  determine who won each round.The  results were tabulated to show clearly the rounds each fighter won  using an average scale based on 60, 80 and 100 percent, with three of  the five officials needing to be in agreement.A similar method has been used to review WBO title fights before."Upon  the analysis, the findings stated that Pacquiao won the 3rd, the 8th  and 9th by 100 percent; the 5th round was won by 80 percent; and the  11th round by 60 percent," the WBO said in a statement."Horn won the 1st, 6th and 12th rounds by 100 percent; rounds 2, 4, and 7 by 80 percent; and then, the 10th round by 60 percent."From  the results, it can be established that Pacquiao won five rounds while  Horn won seven rounds. Based on this analysis, Jeff Horn was the winner  of the bout."The original fight was scored 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 by judges Waleksa Roldan, Chris Flores and Ramon Cerdan respectively.- Concrete evidence -Horn,  a former schoolteacher written off before the bout by most observers,  welcomed the ruling as confirming what he already knew."It  gives me evidence behind me that I can just use now. Instead of saying I  think I won the fight, now a heap of other people -- professionally --  think I won the fight," he told reporters in Brisbane."It's  definitely nice to have it finally put on paper. I thought I'd won the  fight on the day and I think Pacquiao thought it as well. Now just to  have it clear in front of us is good."He  has made clear he is keen for a rematch and Brisbane's Courier-Mail  said talks were already under way for a possible November duel between  the two in the same city.Both  the Philippine board and Pacquiao had criticised American referee Mark  Nelson for supposedly allowing the underdog Australian to get away with  illegal tactics without giving him warnings or point deductions.The  loss sparked calls in the Philippines for the 38-year-old Pacquiao, a  national icon after rising from poverty to be considered one of the  greatest fighters of his generation, to retire and concentrate on  politics.Pacquiao  briefly quit boxing last year to pursue his long-held political  ambitions and was elected senator. But he quickly made a successful  comeback against Jessie Vargas in November, saying he still felt like a  youngster.