Pacquiao backs out of rematch with Horn
Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao connects against Jeff Horn of Australia during their WBO bout in Brisbane last July.
Jeff Horn’s camp has given up hopes of luring Manny Pacquiao over to Brisbane for a rematch in November.
“Manny Pacquiao has decided that he will not be competing in a rematch with Jeff Horn (in Brisbane) in 2017,” Horn’s promoter, Dean Lonergan, said in a statement e-mailed to www. philstar.com yesterday.
Lonergan did not mention when and how Pacquiao relayed his decision to the Australian side.
Instead, Horn is now looking to fight Jessie Vargas, the former lightwelterweight champion who lost to Pacquiao in November last year.
Pacquiao has not issued any official statement following Lonergan’s announcement.
But in a chat with The STAR sports columinist Joaquin Henson a couple of nights ago, Pacquiao aired his desire to bring the rematch to the Philippines in November.
If things fall into place, it may happen at the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena in the outskirts of Manila.
A reliable source yesterday said Pacquiao is serious about staging the rematch on Philippine soil.
“He’s prepared to bring Horn over. Manny is talking directly to Horn’s camp and has offered $3 million to Horn to fight here,” the source said.
The amount of $3 million is bigger than what’s stated in the Pacquiao-Horn fight contract that if a rematch takes place, assuming that Horn won the first fight, the Australian will get $2 million or four times bigger than his previous purse of $500,000.
Pacquiao was guaranteed $10 million for the first fight. How much he intends to get if the rematch is held in the Philippines this year or next year remains a question mark.
Where all the money would come from also remains a question although a couple of weeks ago, Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda
Teo announced that the department was willing to host the fight after initial talks with Pacquiao’s business manager and Party List Congressman Eric Pineda.
Pacquiao said that Top Rank chief Bob Arum should not close the doors on any other offer as far as the venue of the rematch is concerned.
“Pacquiao is committed to fighting again in 2018, and a rematch with Jeff Horn for the WBO world welterweight title,” added Lonergan.
“Until then Top Rank, Duco Promotions, TEQ (Tourism and Events Queenland) and Brisbane marketing will be exploring options,” he said.
The option includes the fight against Vargas in Brisbane and as scheduled on Nov. 12.
According to Lonergan, the fighting senator from Sarangani could not figure in the rematch in November because, “he (Pacquiao) will be part of a (Philippine government) delegation that will visit China in the middle of his proposed preparation period for the fight (which is around September and October).”
Pacquiao still could not be contacted for comment as of presstime.