Jeff Horn of Australia celebrates after beating Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines during their WBO World welterweight title fight in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, July 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Newly-crowned WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn has two options in case Fighting Senator Manny Pacquiao doesn’t exercise his right for a rematch under the terms of the contract.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told boxingscene.com that Horn mentioned two possible names he’d like to lock horns with—Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Terrence Crawford.
“I think Jeff Horn is competitive with anybody,” said Arum, who also warned that the Aussie boxer would be a very tough opponent for anybody in the welterweight division.
Mayweather is scheduled to return to the ring this August against UFC superstar Conor McGregor. However, Mayweather earlier hinted that after this fight he will hang his gloves for good.
Crawford is also scheduled to face Julius Indongo in an IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC, WBO junior welterweight unification bout also this August.
Arum said the fight would push through if Crawford wins and is willing to move up to 147 pounds.
But Freddie Roach sees it the other way around.
The bespectacled trainer accused Arum for turning Horn into a boxing superstar.
A day after Horn upset Pacquiao, Arum told the Australian newspaper that he’s going to bring Horn to America for a potential big fight in Las Vegas or the iconic Madison Square Garden for a multimillion-dollar payday no matter who he fights.
Roach said that superstardom is not within reach of the Australian boxer because he’s giving his favorite ward the chance to avenge his controversial loss to Horn.
“Horn fought dirty; he had a plan and it worked out well. Now Bob Arum wants to make him a star, but it will not happen beyond the next fight. We have the rematch,” Roach told boxingscene.com.
So far there’s no word whether Pacquiao will retire or not. But for Roach, there’s definitely a rematch.