After a failed attempt to secure a lucrative fight in the Middle East, reigning WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will most likely accept a substantial pay cut to face a relatively unknown challenger from Australia.
Pacquiao’s longtime adviser Michael Koncz, who traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to pursue a reported $38 million deal for Pacquiao to face United Kingdom’s Amir Khan in the UAE, fell to gain traction as expected by promoter Bob Arum. Arum may have told Koncz not to expect too much from the undisclosed investment group that earlier offered to raise the funds to get the fight done in April. Despite Arum’s reservations on the funding offer from the UAE group, Koncz was made to believe that it was a legitimate offer and even made public announcement that Pacquiao and Khan had agreed to fight in UAE. Obviously the group was unable to raise the funds or it wasn’t a serious offer at all. Earlier in March, Arum said the UAE deal is dead and Pacquiao won’t be facing Khan for his third comeback fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather in May 2015. “Michael is on his way back to meet with Manny but it’s kaddish for the UAE deal. It’s dead,” Arum said. “I’m talking to him about another proposal for another fight, not Khan. Khan won’t be Manny’s next opponent.” Koncz may now be in a frantic mode as he needs to get Pacquiao fighting at least twice this year to replenish the neophyte’s senator’s dwindling funds. The best way to get a new opponent is for Koncz to revive the outstanding offer from the handlers of Jeff Horn. Arum has given Koncz and Pacquiao few days to decide on the proposed Horn fight and on Thursday, Koncz told Rappler the deal is set to be finalized within the week. “We are finalizing the terms,” said Koncz, who has been pursuing fights that offer better than the purse being dangled for the Horn fight. Pacquiao is reportedly getting less than half his usual US$20 million purse, which is the reason why Koncz was seeking more lucrative fights. Arum has earlier announced that Pacquiao won’t be fighting in the US in the near future because of the declining pay-per view sales even for top-rated boxing fights. ?Unless it?s a big fight, we are looking at Manny fighting outside the US,? Arum said. The proposed Pacquiao-Horn fight is tentatively set for July 2, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia.
