While Jeff Horn still prefers to fight Manny Pacquiao in his hometown in Australia, the 28-year-old fighter doesn’t mind taking on the Filipino icon elsewhere.
Despite Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz announcing the other day that Pacquiao will fight Horn in the United Arab Emirates, the Australian isn’t buying it.
“Someone’s come out when they shouldn’t have and has announced 100 percent that the fight is somewhere else,” Horn recently told Fox Sports News 500.
Horn’s representatives have been moving heaven and earth the past few weeks to bring the fight to the boxer’s hometown in Brisbane, Australia, talking to both Top Rank chief Bob Arum and the Queensland state government.
But confusion arose after Koncz’s declaration that he is “100 percent sure” that the fight will take place in the UAE.
Pacquiao himself confirmed it on his Twitter account.
Nevertheless, as far as Horn is concerned, Australia is still in the running to host the fight, which is slated this April.
“It’s a bit of a shock for all of us to go, ‘Hold on a second. We had the fight planned for here.’ As far as I know the fight is still in Brisbane and hopefully we’ll find out in the next few days what’s happening,” he added.
Meanwhile, Horn’s manager Glenn Rushton is doubtful about the fight being staged in the UAE, saying they’re awaiting the final word from Arum.
“Anything else is just purely speculation and we’ve all heard talk about big fights coming out of Dubai for years and I’ve never seen one yet, so I have to simply say it like you that it’s simply speculation. Let’s wait until Bob Arum speaks,” Rushton said in the same Fox Sports News 500 report.
Horn, for his part, is ready to slug it out with Pacquiao anywhere.
“I’ll fight him on the moon if I have to. I doesn’t bother me but it would be beyond a dream come true if I do get it in Brisbane or Australia,” he said.(D. Maragay, PS)
