Manny Pacquiao's love for boxing may usher him back into the ring for a rematch against Australian fighter Jeff Horn. Meanwhile, planning has begun for the possible bout in November.
The Filipino boxing champion tweeted on Wednesday a photo of himself during the fight with Horn, with blood flowing down the side of his head, saying "I love this sport and until the passion is gone, I will continue to fight for God, my family, my fans and my country."
I love this sport and until the passion is gone, I will continue to fight for God, my family, my fans and my country. pic.twitter.com/mcfegAOSIi
— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) July 12, 2017 " data-caption="null" data-credit="Twitter/mannypacquiao">The 38-year-old Filipino senator's retirement from the sport of boxing was again a subject of debates following his loss to 29-year-old Horn in Brisbane, Australia on July 2. Horn won the World Boxing Organization welterweight title from Pacquiao in an upset decision in front of a hometown crowd of 51,052 fans in Brisbane's outdoor Suncorp Stadium.
While Pacquiao has yet to make an announcement if he will continue his boxing career, Horn is ready for a rematch, and is confident that he would "beat him even more convincingly than the first time," according to a report from The Courier Mail.
Horn's promoter Dean Lonergan has also started planning for the rematch, mooted to be held in November. It would most likely be held at a different venue, as he said it was "too risky" to fight outdoors in Brisbane in November because of weather factors.
Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall could be an alternative venue. However, it seats only 14,500 compared to Suncorp's 52,500, which means ticket prices would most likely skyrocket to make up for the lower attendance.
"First Manny's got to say yes, and secondly, a case has to be made to make it work at Boondall or another venue," Lonergan told AAP in a report from BoxingScene.com.
Another alternative venue which has been discussed is Melbourne's Etihad Stadium, which can accommodate 56,347 spectators under a retractable roof. A record attendance for 2015's UFC 193 has shown that there is a big market for combat sports in the state of Victoria.
However, Lonergan has stressed his loyalty to his "friends" in Queensland, and would be willing to work to keep the bout in the state.
