Chinese diplomacy has floored hopes of a rematch between Jeff Horn and Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane later this year.
Top Rank president Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, yesterday confirmed to The Weekend Australian that the Filipino legend would devote the rest of this year to his political career ? he is a senator in The Philippines ? before looking to secure a rematch with Horn early next year.
It is understood Pacquiao has been hand-picked by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to be part of a delegation to visit China around the time the pair were due to meet in their rematch.
Faced with a choice between his burgeoning political and waning fighting careers, Pacquiao opted for the former. Arum and Duco Events executive Dean Lonergan, who promotes Horn, will hold talks over an alternative opponent for the 29-year-old Queenslander in coming days.
American Jessie Vargas is likely to figure prominently in those discussions, given he is promoted by Arum and would appeal to a US audience as the fight is due to be broadcast live into US homes on sports giant ESPN.
Another option may be junior middleweight Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, who recently won the WBO title and is trained by Pacquiao?s mentor Freddie Roach.
?Manny is not going to fight this year because he has government duties to perform,? Arum said. ?He is not a full-time fighter any more. He?s a politician in the best sense of the word. We?re confident there will be a fight (for Jeff) in November this year.
?We?re then going to try to make it (Horn-Pacquiao II) sometime in March or April.?
Pacquiao?s decision to sidestep the bout this year is not entirely surprising, given the conjecture that has shadowed attempts to get a rematch off the ground.
Lonergan was in negotiations with the Queensland government and Brisbane City Council over bringing the fight to fruition but their plans have been scuppered in the short term at least by Pacquiao?s political career.
Horn is still expected to fight in Brisbane later this year and Lonergan yesterday confirmed he and Arum would have talks in coming days as they look to source an ?opponent for the WBO champion.
?Manny Pacquiao has decided that he will not be competing in a rematch with Jeff Horn in 2017,? Lonergan said.
?On behalf of The Philippines government, he will be part of a delegation that will visit China in the middle of his proposed preparation period for the fight.
?Pacquiao is committed to fighting again in 2018, and a rematch with Jeff Horn for the WBO world welterweight title. Until then, Top Rank, Duco promotions, TEQ (Tourism Events Queensland) and Brisbane Marketing will be exploring options.?
Provided Horn emerges unscathed from his first title defence later this year, the likelihood is that he and Pacquiao will fight again in Brisbane early next year.
A second win over the 38-year-old boxing legend would catapult Horn among the world?s elite and set up a potential superfight against American Terence Crawford, widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the world.
Crawford, who has unified the light welterweight world titles, is ranked third in the respected pound-for-pound rankings of The Ring magazine behind only light heavyweight king Andre Ward and middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
ESPN has the undefeated American as the fourth pound-for-pound fighter in the world behind Ward, Golovkin and Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko.
Given Crawford?s popularity in the US, there is every chance a fight with Horn would take place overseas. By then, thanks to Arum?s connections with ESPN, Horn would have established himself as a bona fide superstar in the welterweight division.
?Crawford would certainly want to (fight),? Arum said.
?He?s a junior welterweight champion but he?s looking to go up to another weight. That would be a huge, huge fight. It would do tremendous business.?
