Jeff Horn’s team expect Manny Pacquiao fight to happen in Brisbane despite UAE claims

Manny Pacquiao has said on social media he will next fight in the UAE. LE Baskow / Reuters

The management of Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent is confident the bout will take place in Australia, despite claims the Filipino is set to fight in the UAE.

Pacquiao, 38, was originally expected to take on Australian Jeff Horn at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on April 23, but the eight-division champion threw the fight into uncertainty on Sunday when posts on his various social media accounts stated he would next appear in the Emirates.

Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's advisor, had been in Abu Dhabi the previous day, where he said his client would "100 per cent" defend his WBO welterweight title in the UAE. Abu Dhabi and Dubai were mooted as possible host cities, although sources at their respective Sports Councils told The National on Sunday that they were unaware of any such plans.

__________________________________

Read more

■ Exclusive with Manny Pacquiao: On balancing boxing and politics

■ For and against: Why Pacquiao will fight in UAE – and why he won't

__________________________________

On Tuesday, Duco Events, the company charged with promoting Pacquiao-Horn in Brisbane, confirmed they were pushing ahead with plans for the match-up at the Suncorp Stadium after receiving assurances from Pacquiao’s exclusive worldwide promoters, Top Rank, earlier that day.

“Michael Koncz has looked at other options, and he is well within his rights to do so,” Duco founder Dean Lonergan said. “But Top Rank will still make the final call in consultation with Manny.”

Lonergan said he expected to finalise details for the fight within the next seven days, adding: “The battle of Brisbane has begun long before a punch has been thrown.”

Pacquiao had cast the Brisbane bout in further doubt on Monday when his official Twitter account posted a poll asking whom he should fight next. It included Horn, American Terence Crawford and British boxers Amir Khan and Kell Brook with the undefeated Horn last by some distance having attracted only seven per cent of the 44,000 votes cast. Khan was clear favourite with 48 per cent.

Horn, currently on a promotional tour in Queensland for the fight, spoke this week about the uncertainty surrounding the fight.

"It's very confusing and frustrating," said Horn, according to the Courier-Mail. "The fact that Pacquiao is now tweeting about different opponents is so annoying because we were under the impression that he had agreed to fight me on April 23. We don't even know if it's Pacquiao tweeting this stuff or if he's given control of his page to someone else.

“I’ll fight him anywhere but obviously it would be awesome to have the fight in Brisbane. I think all these tweets are just mind games, a ploy for Pacquiao and his team to show me that they have all the power and they are calling the shots over the fight. I just want to get in the ring and show Pacquiao my power.”

Pacquiao (59-6-2), who is also a senator in the Philippines House of Representatives, made a successful return to the ring on November 5 with a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas following a short retirement to pursue his career in politics. Horn, 29, has 16 wins from 17 fights with one draw.

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport