Manny Pacquiao's mobile phone antics are proof the Filipino great is not taking the Battle of Brisbane seriously enough, Jeff Horn said on Wednesday at the last official press conference before the weigh-in.
Pacquiao spent most of Wednesday's official press conference at Suncorp Stadium playing with his phone, and he looked largely disinterested in the formalities unfolding around him. His actions prompted Horn's promoter, Dean Lonergan from Duco Events, to tease Pacquiao as not only an 11-time world champion boxer but also a "world champion texter".
"I've attended four press conferences with Manny; he never gets off his bloody phone," Lonergan said. "I hope you take the phone into the ring and she'll be game over."
Pacquiao said later that he had been preparing notes for what he would say to reporters, but Horn took it as a sign of his true feelings towards the bout.
"I can't imagine him doing that at a [Floyd] Mayweather press conference," Horn said. "It definitely shows a bit of 'he doesn't care' attitude to the fight. Maybe we'll see he hasn't put in all the hard work they say he has.
"I don't know if it's arrogance; I'm just used to that now. It gave me a laugh when Dean called him out on it; it was hilarious. His face ... he didn't know what to do."
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddy Roach, said that nobody in their camp was taking Horn lightly but he predicted the fight would be "short and sweet" and most of the expected 50,000-strong crowd would be cheering for Pacquiao by the end of the night.
"Someone will be knocked out," Roach said.
"I'd like to wish Jeff the best of luck... Manny won't need it.
"He's a very good puncher, big strong kid. He's fighting for the world title, the opportunity of a lifetime. I'm sure he's going to bring it, we're going to bring it also. This is one of the best training camps we've had."
Horn, unbeaten in his 17 professional fights, welcomed the idea of Pacquiao hunting for his first knockout in eight years.
"I was surprised to hear them say that, actually," the 29-year-old Queenslander said.
"If he's looking for a knockout it always makes you vulnerable. If you look for a knockout it usually doesn't come and you leave lots of openings. They're sending a lot of mixed messages."
Roach said the fight could open doors for Horn, regardless of the result, if he produced a spirited display for what is expected to be tens of millions of fans on ESPN in the US.
"We've got the school teacher and the senator - it's very unusual," Roach said. "It's a big step up for [Horn]. But this is an opportunity of a lifetime for him.
"Depending on how this fight goes, it should put him in a very good position for bigger fights. He has nothing to lose. He's in a very good position to help himself. He might go out there and get lucky, you never know, but the bottom line is we have not underestimated him. I don't think he will beat Manny but he's in a very good position to help himself."