Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao gave up his rematch against Australian Jeff Horn, who snatched the world welterweight title from the World Boxing Organization (WBO), because the scheduled date did not suit him, the Queensland government announced.
“We have been informed today (Friday) that Manny Pacquiao will not be able to step into the ring on November 12, as we had proposed,” Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk announced in a statement.
“I was informed that Pacquiao, who is also a senator in the Philippines, had other commitments on those dates,” he added, specifying that his government will continue to financially support Horn’s next fight, even if it is against another boxer.
In mid-July Pacquiao, the only fighter to win world titles in eight different categories, assured that he is not ready to hang up his gloves just yet, after leaving his retirement in 2016.
In early July Horn, 29, beat Pacquiao, 38, against all odds to points unanimously (117-111, 115-113, 115-113). His record as a boxer is 17 wins and one nil.
The WBO assigned five “anonymous and competent judges from different countries who will rewatch the fight without sound distraction” to score the fight round by round. They confirmed Horn’s victory. AFP