Pacquiao signs contract to fight Aussie Horn

Boxer Manny Pacquiao makes his “Grand Arrival” to the Wynn hotel-casino on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Las Vegas. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Jessie Vargas on Saturday night at the Thomas&Mack Center. AP

Manny Pacquiao has signed the papers that would officially pit him against Australian Jeff Horn for the WBO World welterweight title, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“We’re slowly finishing up the deal to fight… people have agreed on essential points,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said in the report.

“Paperwork takes time, particularly when it’s not the usual thing of getting it done in the United States. We’re dealing with an Australian promoter, the state government…. Here, in this case, you’ve got to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing.”

As per news.com.au, Horn’s promoters plan to meet with the state governments of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia to keep the fight within the island.

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 knockout) putting his WBO belt against the former Olympian Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) was Arum’s original plan before the Filipino and manager Michael Koncz pushed for a fight against Amir Khan in Dubai.

That, however, fell through but Arum said a fight against Khan is possible in November.