Pacquiao alternative named
Manny Pacquiao will not fight Jeff Horn again in Brisbane this year but a big-mouthed, hard-punching star could step into his shoes.
MANNY Pacquiao will not fight Jeff Horn again in Brisbane this year but a bigmouthed, hard-punching star could step into his shoes.
The State Government announced yesterday that Pacquiao has decided against returning to Brisbane this year to seek revenge for his loss to Horn but the rematch could take place in the New Year.
While Pacquiao’s commitments as a senator in the Philippines was cited by the government as a reason for his busy schedule, there was no specific reason named for his inability to accept the fight.
Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton is keen for his star pupil to have another fight this year de- spite the fact that the proposed November 12 Suncorp blockbuster with Pacquiao has been postponed.
Well-credentialed former world champion Jessie Vargas is the most likely target.
“Because Jeff is world champion he has plenty of offers,’’ Rushton said.
“But we want big fights. We are not interested in taking easy fights. That is not what we are about.
“Jessie Vargas is a fight which could interest us if he was available. He is a former world champion who has fought Pacquiao. He has never been stopped. He lost narrowly to Tim Bradley.
“He is certainly on our radar.”
Vargas, a former Mexican Olympian now based in the US, has lost only twice in his 29 fights to Pacquiao and Bradley. He is a renowned hard puncher and big for his weight division. He has already sledged Horn on YouTube, saying the Australian is not in his class.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the State Government would support Horn’s next bout despite the fact it was likely to feature a new opponent.
“My government will support Jeff Horn’s championship defence, with or without Manny Pacquiao, in Brisbane,’’ the Premier said.
“Whoever the challenger is, my government will help arrange the meeting because it will be good news for Queensland.
“The first Battle of Brisbane attracted more than 51,000 to Suncorp Stadium, an estimated global audience of 500 million and provided a $25 million boost to our economy.’’