Coast firm’s big Pacquiao knockout
A GOLD Coast private security firm landed the lucrative job as Manny Pacquiao’s bodyguards – but one place they couldn’t protect him was in the ring.
Panoptic Solutions, headquartered in Surfers Paradise, has had up to eight highlytrained bodyguards on watch over the boxing star and Filipino senator 24 hours a day during his Queensland stay, the Bulletin can reveal.
Panoptic’s ex-miliary and law enforcement team members, who charge up to $2000 daily, were seen ringside at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium yesterday as Pacquiao was upset on points in a 12-round slugfest with Jeff Horn.
The loss paved the way for a repeat contract for Panoptic with Pacquiao vowing to return for a rematch.
Panoptic ringside staff included Coast-based founder and ex-Australian Defence Force member Troy Claydon who has been photographed at Pacquiao’s side in the past week.
Mr Claydon declined to talk about the security operation yesterday when contacted.
“I wouldn’t go into any actual detail. We just don’t comment,” he said.
But security sources familiar with it say a team of five to eight would have been guarding Pacquaio round the clock.
Pacquiao arrived with a 200-strong entourage via a privately chartered Boeing 757 over a week ago and the security contract would have been worth tens of thousands, a source said.
It would be very good for the firm’s CV even though it might not boast about it publicly, the source said.
“That sort of industry tends to get referrals by word of mouth. It would be a pretty prestigious contract.”
Pacquiao was considered to have a reasonable “risk profile” given kidnapping threats last year against him and his family by Filipino militants.