TIYAK na ang pagdepensa ni eight-division world titlist Manny Pacquiao sa WBO welterweight title laban kay WBO No. 2 Jeff Horn sa Abril 23 sa Suncorp Stadium sa Brisbane, Queensland sa Australia.
Lagda na lamang ni Pacquiao ang kailangan para sa multi-million dollar deal na inialok ng Queensland State Government na inaasahang tatabo ng todo sa antas ng turismo.
Sinabi ni Queensland State Tourism and Major Events Minister Kate Jones kay reporter Grantlee Kieza ng Courier Mail, naniniwala siyang malaki ang magiging balik sa kanilang estado sa pagho-host ng pinakamalaking laban sa kasaysayan ng professional boxing sa Australia.
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“I’m hopeful that all three partners will now step into the ring to deliver this fight,” sabi ni Jones matapos kumpirmahin ang sagupaan.
Masaya ring ibinalita ng co-promoter ni Horn na si Dean Lonergan ng Duco Events ang katuparan ng kanilang pangarap na matuloy ang Pacquiao-Horn bout sa Queensland.
“Jeff is a Brisbane boy and having the fight on the world stage in the Suncorp shine State would be a dream come true for him,” ani Lonergan na tinatayang dudumugin ang sagupaan ng tinatayang 50,000 boxing fans.
“We have an agreement with Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum and Pacquiao is right across that. We just need to make sure that we have the money in place to be able to meet the financial demands of what is required for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the greatest boxers of all time.”
Para naman kay Horn, katuparan ng kanyang matagal nang pangarap na makasagupa sa Suncorp Stadium ang dating No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer sa buong mundo.
“Fighting Pacquiao is more than a dream come true…It’s bigger than anything I could have dreamed about when I took up boxing,” ani Horn. “The support of the crowd in Brisbane might just be the difference between winning and losing for me.” (Gilbert EspeÑa)
