Jeff Horn’s hometown of Brisbane is pushing hard to bring over Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao for an April 23 world welterweight title fight.
Dean Lonergan, head of Duco Promotions, the New Zealand-based outfit that struck a deal with Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum to put up a Pacquiao headliner Down Under, told fightnews that a juicy proposal will be submitted to the state government of Queensland.
Lonergan, fresh from closing out an agreement with Arum in Las Vegas, said the state stands to generate $150 million if it hosts Pacquiao’s defense of the World Boxing Organization 147-lb crown versus the undefeated Horn at the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium.
“Jeff Horn against Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium can showcase Brisbane to the world. It is a truly global sporting contest pitting one of the greatest boxers in history against a young clean-cut Queensland kid who is a qualified schoolteacher and a great role model for all young Australians,” Lonergan told Australian fight scribe Ray Wheatley.
Horn, a complete unknown outside Australia, has a 16-0-1 win-loss-draw record with 11 KOs.
Aside from Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city, Sydney and Melbourne, are also said to be keen in hosting Pacquiao’s first appearance there.
But if Lonergan and Arum’s Top Rank are unable to convince one of the cities, the fight might end up being imported to the Middle East with Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as possible sites.
A decision is expected to be made in the next seven to ten days.
Last week, the Australian media reported that Pacquiao’s purse for the Horn fight will be just $5 million, an amount that compelled his camp to announce that the fighting senator is not going to settle for crumbs.