Duco edging closer to sealing Pac Man deal
Sydney could steal one of the biggest fights in Australian boxing history from under the noses of Queenslanders as promoters begin to shop around the hugely anticipated bout between Brisbane welterweight Jeff ‘‘The Hornet’’ Horn and Filipino great Manny Pacquiao.
What was initially dismissed as boxing talk has become more concrete, with the chances of WBO welterweight champion Pacquiao venturing to Australia to meet No 2 contender Horn growing.
Horn is co-promoted by New Zealand-based Duco Events and Top Rank, run by legendary boxing figure Bob Arum.
Arum saw Horn fight and win in New Zealand against Ali Funeka and believes the former schoolteacher has huge ability and marketing potential in the US.
A decent performance against Pacquiao would do wonders for the profile of the 28-year-old, a 2012 Olympian unbeaten fights as a professional.
Despite some scepticism about Horn’s credentials, Duco and Top Rank view it as a win-win. A booking has already been made for Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on April 23, but promoters are hoping the prospect of a huge crowd and in It’s not crazy numbers, it’s reasonable numbers. a massive influx of Pacquiao fans and visiting media sparks interest from state governments on the east coast and even South Australia.
Arum told Fairfax Media from Las Vegas that the purse demands weren’t excessive, while Duco representatives are already scouting venues and dates in Sydney to ensure the best return for their investment in the title fight.
‘‘It’s not crazy numbers, it’s reasonable numbers,’’ Arum said. ‘‘With the Australian-New Zealand pay-per-view, with what we can sell with the site, the sponsorship and with government backing, it shouldn’t be hard to accomplish.’’
Allianz Stadium would be a logical venue in Sydney if it was available during a packed rugby league, rugby union and football calendar, but Duco are keeping their options open.
Arum doesn’t believe Horn would be overawed by the assignment against Pacquiao, having already toyed with the idea of a US fight against Tim Bradley or Jessie Vargas.
‘‘Before I could do a pay-perview in the US with him, he’d have to fight somebody like Bradley or Vargas and then I said to him [Duco promoter Dean Lonergan] ‘what are we messing around with that stuff for?’ Why don’t we just go and have him fight in Australia . . . That’s what we’re working on.’’