Pacman swings early but Horn holds out hope

BOXING ALTHOUGH superstar boxer Manny Pacquiao landed a devastating blow on Jeff Horn yesterday, Brisbane’s “Fighting Schoolteacher’’ remains hopeful he will still get to face the world welterweight champion at Suncorp Stadium in the next few months.

Pacquiao and his prospective next opponent, former British world champ Amir Khan, took to social media yesterday to say they had reached an agreement for a fight on April 23 in the United Arab Emirates, but Horn and his promotional team still believe the mooted fight is a desert storm in a teacup.

Horn had expected to fight Pacquiao on that date in Brisbane, at Suncorp Stadium.

Pacquiao claims he has been offered $US38 million ($A49 million) to face Khan, who was brutally knocked out in his last fight in Las Vegas.

In fact, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said his fighter regularly knocked out Khan when they sparred together years ago. On Saturday, Horn released a video taunt at Pacquiao, saying that while he had less than $38 million in his fight purse, the money being offered to Pacquiao by the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and Suncorp Stadium to fight him in Brisbane was “real”.

No venue for a PacquiaoKhan fight has been revealed and last week Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said reports he had reached an agreement with Khan were “total and complete bullshit”.

On Wednesday Arum said he still had doubts about whether his boxer would see the promised $38 million.

Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan said yesterday he was still hopeful of staging a Pacquiao-Horn world title fight at Suncorp Stadium.

A spokeswoman for Major Events Minister Kate Jones said Tourism and Events Queensland was in negotiations to seal the Pacquiao bout.

Horn spent a few days earlier this month travelling North Queensland, including a twoday visit to Cairns.