Pacquiao a thundering hit in China
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Who’s Gary Corcoran? The obscure boxer from Britain was described by boxingscene.com as being the 10th ranked welterweight in the World Boxing Organization. He most likely will be fighting WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn in Australia within the year.
That means there’ll be no Pacquiao-Horn rematch soon.
Article continues after this advertisementHowever, the veteran sports columnist Joaquin Henson has reported from Beijing that Pacquiao could still end up boxing Horn a second time not in Australia, but possibly in China.
Henson reports how Pacquiao saw with his own eyes his amazing popularity during a working visit in the Chinese Mainland last week, where he was mobbed by Chinese fans everywhere he would go as though he was their own.
Reports Henson: “After the press conference, Pacquiao was warmly welcomed by Chinese hosts and media. He was mobbed by officials and media members who all suddenly became wide-eyed fans asking for his autograph and posing for pictures.”
Article continues after this advertisementPacquiao brought in six Filipino boxers, led by two-time Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga, to launch a promotional tie-up with the Professional Boxing Commission of China.
“At the ringside for the fights,” continues the report, “there was a never-ending stream of Chinese fans lining up for a photograph with Pacquiao, or an autograph on a shirt, book, towel or any piece of paper that will be a cherished souvenir.”
Henson says he has been told that a Pacquiao fight pulls in an average audience of 300 million across the Mainland. In Pacquiao’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., each high-definition pop sold for $100.
“The total take amounted to $440 Million; that was not even half of what 100 million hits at $10 each could bring in China,” Henson says. “Eventually, Horn will be lured into fighting Pacquiao once more and it could be in a neutral country with the potential of reaching an audience of over 100 million.”
Pacquiao said he would possibly fight in China. The announcement was received with thundering applause.
