Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao lifts his WBO Welterweight Belt as he arrives at the NAIA Terminal 1. Pacquiao beat Jessie Vargas in unanimous decision. INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
It may be just wishful thinking, but Bob Arum sees Manny Pacquiao fighting four times and going global this year.
The 85-year-old revered promoter forged Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight against Australian Jeff Horn on April 23 with Brisbane as likely venue.
If Pacquiao’s schedule permits, Arum also wants the Fighting Senator to fight in Russia in July, the United Kingdom against Kell Brook in the fall, and Las Vegas against Terence Crawford in late November or early December.
For now, however, Arum is focused on threshing out details of Pacquiao-Horn, particularly with regards to raising the eight-division world champion’s paltry purse of $5 million.
“Jeff Horn is the guy, but we still have details to work out,” Arum told reviewjournal.com. “I’ll be going to the Philippines soon to meet Manny and finalize the deal. While we work on that, we have a bidding for what state in Australia lands the fight. The Middle East is also in the picture.” —ROY LUARCA