Unbeaten Jeff Horn of Australia (16-0-1) has always paled as a disposable prospective next opponent for the legendary Filipino boxing superhero Manny Pacquiao.
The clean-cut former school teacher from Brisbane was so obscure Pacquiao had to wonder who he was after promoter Bob Arum named him as Pacquiao’s next assignment.
“This is my first time to hear his name,” Pacquiao told an interviewer at his Senate office recently.
Of course, the whole boxing world now knows who Horn is; although there has been no word from Arum on whether or not the April 23 bout he has scheduled for Pacquiao would push through, and where.
The bout was first published as being slated in Brisbane, but Pacquiao later firmly announced that he would be fighting in the United Arab Emirates.
That was not exactly surprising, as UAE was often mentioned as the possible venue for Pacquiao’s next bout.
What continues to intrigue and baffle was the total absence of Arum in the midst of the confusion, now that Pacquiao has also tweeted his fans on who they wanted him to fight.
For the record, Arum had stated that “it would be a travesty” if the Pacquiao-Horn fight were staged away from Australia.
Latest reports, however, said that UAE has beaten Brisbane in the bid to provide Pacquiao a richer purse.
The said reports quoted sources which said “the Emirates offered a guaranteed purse of $40 million for Pacquiao.”
Brisbane had initially offered $5 million to Pacquiao but reportedly raised this to $7 million.
Meanwhile, Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s advisor, has vaguely assured that all’s well between the eight-division world titlist and the missing Arum.
There’s nothing clear on the bout initially slated by Arum for Pacquiao against Horn, while suspicions lurk that the grizzled promoter had either been outfoxed or allowed himself to be pushed aside—for goodness’ sake.