Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is not closing the door on staging a Manny Pacquiao fight in the Philippines but makes it clear that Top Rank won’t have any participation in funding it.
Speaking to boxingscene on Wednesday, Arum says the plan to pit Pacquiao against Australian conqueror Jeff Horn has temporarily been shelved.
“I’m not at a standstill (with Pacquiao) but he’s made his position clear, the world goes on,” Arum told Steve Kim.
“I would love to do a big fight for him in Manila or some places else in the Philippines but the problem is don’t expect me to pay for it.”
A few weeks back, the Department of Tourism had floated the idea of putting up a Pacquiao fight on home soil but Arum insists “the tourism board in the Philippines has told us they’ll do everything to help promote the fight except put up (the) money.”
Last July, Pacquiao travelled to Brisbane, Horn’s turf, and lost the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown on a controversial unanimous decision before more than 51,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium.