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Horn, Pacquiao Brisbane rematch on cards

Jeff Horn of Australia (left) and current title holder Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines during the WBO World Welterweight Title fight at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Sunday, July 2, 2017. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
2nd July, 2017
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The Battle of Brisbane is set for a sequel with Top Rank supremo Bob Arum revealing Suncorp Stadium is the likely destination for a rematch between Jeff Horn and Manny Pacquiao.

Horn’s contentious WBO welterweight championship victory over Pacquiao on Sunday has opened up a world of possibilities for the softly spoken former schoolteacher.

What happens next depends largely on whether Pacquiao, 38, wants to continue boxing after suffering his seventh defeat – or if he wants to focus on life as a senator in the Philippines.

Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium has been talked about as a possible venue for a rematch, as has Pacquiao’s home country.

The US market also beckons for Horn after tens of millions watched his unanimous decision win on ESPN.

Arum, who made it all happen by plucking Horn from relative obscurity after watching him beat Ali Funeka in Auckland late last year, suggested a return to Suncorp could be on the cards.

A record 51,052 attended Sunday’s fight – the biggest crowd of Pacquiao’s career.

“There is a rematch clause and the rematch clause definitely has language that all things being OK, that it has to be in Brisbane,” said Arum.

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“We’ll sit down and we’re going to figure it out.

“Maybe down the road it would be great for (Horn) to fight in Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden.”

Horn favoured the idea of bringing as many big fights home to help rebuild Australian boxing, but said: “Whatever happens, happens.”

Horn wasted little time after the fight to outline his new target – Floyd Mayweather Jr while Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr and Timothy Bradley are also on his radar should he push on with ambitious plans to unify the welterweight division.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is set for a long talk with trainer Freddie Roach over his future.

Roach claimed in the days preceding the fight he would encourage Pacquiao to retire if he lost to Horn, and said juggling two jobs was not going to work.

“I think maybe being a senator, being a fighter – both is just maybe too much,” Roach said.

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“We didn’t have enough time in training camp.

“We’ll see how he feels. I’m going to give him my feelings on that too.

“I’m a little bit in the middle right now because he didn’t fight badly. He just wasn’t consistent enough for what I want.”

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