Horn still hopeful of bout with Pacquiao

JEFF Horn’s promoter still believes he will eventually face world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane even though the all-time boxing great continues to chase a $49 million payday against British fighter Amir Khan in the United Arab Emirates.

Duco Events’ Dean Lonergan, who had secured multimillion-dollar backing from the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and Suncorp Stadium to stage a Pacquiao-Horn fight in Brisbane, said yesterday the Filipino world champ was “chasing rainbows’’ and believed the rivers of gold being promised in the Middle East would be revealed as a desert mirage.

“Manny seems to be very concerned about facing Jeff Horn in front of 55,000 people at Suncorp Stadium,’’ Lonergan said.

“In all likelihood he is chasing rainbows with the ($49 million) offer.

“We have a very substantial offer for Manny to fight Jeff Horn in Brisbane on April 23. It is real money and it remains on the table.

“We still hope to see him fighting in Brisbane.’’

Even Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum – who first promoted Muhammad Ali 51 years ago – is sceptical about the outlandish UAE offer that seems to have derailed Horn’s immediate world title fight ambitions.

Arum said this week that reports he had reached an agreement with Khan for a Pacquiao fight were “total and complete bulls…’’ but that Pacquiao remained determined to chase the big money in the Middle East “whether (the offer) is real or not real’’.

Yesterday Pacquiao tweeted: “My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcement coming soon.”

Arum responded by telling the TV network ESPN yesterday: “The Australian deal is not going to happen now, because Manny is trying to get a fight done in the United Arab Emirates, and the people there favour him fighting Amir Khan.