Australian welterweight Jeff Horn will fight the legendary Manny Pacquiao in April but his promoter Duco Events is now on a mission to ensure the bout takes place on home soil.
Horn has been locked in to face Pacquiao on Sunday, April 23, Duco confirmed on Wednesday. But the venue for the fight is up in the air, with Australia’s major cities and even the Middle East and United States under consideration – depending on who can come up with the funding.
Suncorp Stadium in Horn’s hometown of Brisbane is the clear preference but unless sponsors and the Queensland state government come to the table, it could move interstate or overseas. Duco was unable to provide a figure for the total funding required, but meetings with potential backers – among them Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and sports minister Curtis Pitt – will take place over the coming weeks.
“The preference for all parties is for the fight to be held in Australia, and we are working towards this outcome,” said Duco director Dean Lonergan, who met with influential Top Rank boxing supremo Bob Arum this week to broker the deal.
