Pinoy boxer Amonsot to spar Horn as he prepares for Pacquiao fight

MANILA, Philippines – Jeff Horn will get some assistance from one of his opponent’s compatriots as Filipino Czar Amonsot is set to join his camp as a sparring partner for Horn’s fight against WBO welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao.

Amonsot (34-3-3, 22 knockouts) is originally from Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines but has been based out of Melbourne, Australia for the past several years. The 31-year-old southpaw has been unbeaten in his last 18 fights over 8 years and is rated in the top 5 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) at junior welterweight.

“I think Czar will be great sparring for Jeff,” Horn’s trainer/manager Glenn Rushton is quoted by Courier-Mail.

“He’s been undefeated for years and is a former Pacquiao sparring partner. He’s tough and aggressive and fight fit.”

Amonsot confirmed the news to Rappler, but says he never sparred Pacquiao because the future senator was preparing for a fight with orthodox fighter Erik Morales, possibly the first in 2015, when he was at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

Amonsot says he’ll fly to Brisbane, Australia on Monday, June 4, but concedes his style isn’t too close an approximation to that of Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs).

“I don’t think so,” Amonsot tells this reporter in a Facebook message when asked if their styles are similar. “Everyone does [their] own thing if you know that. Every single person [has their] style.”

Amonsot doesn’t view his assistance to Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) as working against Pacquiao, but rather as a way to improve the fight, which takes place July 2 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Also, it’s an opportunity to earn some income as he prepares for his own fight on July 14 in Flemington, Australia.

“For me as a boxing person I just want to help the show. May the best man win,” says Amonsot. “I think it’s unfair for Horn’s camp if I [said no], don’t you think?

“They’re paying everything for me so why not? I know I can’t be like Manny.”

Amonsot’s last loss came in 2007, when he was dropped twice in a decision defeat to Michael Katsidis in Las Vegas for the interim WBO lightweight title on the pay-per-view card headlined by Bernard Hopkins vs Ronald “Winky” Wright.

Amonsot was hospitalized after the fight and a subdural hematoma was discovered in an MRI exam, ESPN reported at the time, barring him from being licensed again in Nevada. 

The report states that former champion Zab Judah is being sought as a sparring partner by the Horn camp after being turned down by WBO junior lightweight titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko. Judah was a sparring partner for Floyd Mayweather Jr as he prepared for Pacquiao prior to their 2015 fight, which Mayweather won by unanimous decision.

Meanwhile in the Philippines, Adrian Young (23-3-2, 18 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico arrived this week to spar Pacquiao. George Kambosos Jr, an Australian lightweight who had trained some with Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune, declined to spar Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach told Rappler.  

“If we’re at our best, we’ll destroy [Horn],” Roach told Rappler last week. “We’re never not at our best going into the ring.” – Rappler.com