IPINAGMALAKI ni Canadian Michael Koncz, financial adviser ni WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, na mapapatulog ng eight-division world champion si Aussie challenger Jeff Horn sa Hulyo 2 sa Brisbane, Australia.
“We’re not able to fight Amir Khan because of Ramadan, so we decided to take this fight in the interim,” sabi ni Koncz sa Fox Sports sa Australia sabay sabing susunod na lalabanan ng Pilipino si Briton Amir Khan sa United Arab Emirates sa Nobyembre.
“We signed it, so yeah, we’re excited about it. But again, my preference was to fight Amir Khan,” diin ni Koncz na tinangkang sapawan ang promoter ni Pacquiao na si Bob Arum ng Top Rank Inc. “That didn’t work out. We had this on the table so we decided to take it.”
“Manny will train and do the best he can and hopefully we get the fight over with very quickly, we get out of there, we say hi to the Australian fans and media and come home,” dagdag ni Koncz hinggil kay Horn na alagang boksingero na rin ni Arum.
“Frankly and honestly, and nothing against Jeff Horn — I’ve never met the kid, I don’t know him personally — but the name recognition is I guess why the fans picked Amir Khan.”
Hindi pa tiyak kung saan gaganapin ang laban na pinakamalaki sa kasaysayan ng Australian professional boxing pero liyamado na ganapin ito sa 55,000-seat Suncorp Stadium sa Brisbane na lungsod ni Horn.
“Paperwork takes time, particularly when it’s not the usual thing of getting it done in the United States,” paliwanag ni Arum sa BoxingSene.com kung bakit natagalan ang paghahayag sa laban. “We’re dealing with an Australian promoter, the (Queensland) state government.”
“Here, in this case, you’ve got to cross the ‘T’s and dot the ‘I’s, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing,” dagdag ni Arum. (Gilbert Espeña)
