ARUM PROPOSES SAME SUNCORP VENUE FOR PACQUIAO-HORN REMATCH
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 Aug 2017
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is optimistic of a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn will be finalized in the next few days. The partners in Australia are planning the return bout to be held in November at the same venue which is the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. An immediate rematch clause was included in the original contract which Pacquiao is going to exercise.
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The plan includes placing of a temporary cover to be constructed at the outdoor arena to protect the ring and the first 10 rows of the audience in case it rains. "Manny's on board, Horn's on board," Arum told Reuters. "The parties in Australia are meeting the Queensland government authorities on Saturday and hopefully the meeting goes well."
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Arum promised to both camps to fix any potential judging discrepancies to avoid the same controversies which resulted in the first fight. According to Yahoo Sports, the Top Rank CEO asked for the judges' names to be fully agreeed by both sides before the rematch. Arum wanted all neutral judges to officiate the rematch this time around.
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Floyd Mayweather, Jr. believed that Robert Byrd, the designated referee of their fight, will keep their 12-round encounter with Conor McGregor in his boxing debut as clean as possible. The Money Man doubted if The Notorious will strictly follow the rules of boxing when they face on August 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While watching some footages of McGregor's sparring sessions against Paulie Malignaggi, Floyd noticed Conor breaking the rules many times.
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Byrd is a veteran referee of several high-profile fights. ?I truly believe the ref?s gonna do his job,? Mayweather said. ?The referee?s job is to make sure the fighters are keeping the bout clean. And I want us to put on a hell of a fight. Like I said on numerous occasions building up to this fight, I?m coming straight ahead. So he don?t have nothing to worry about. I look forward to following the Queensbury rules of boxing, and I?m pretty sure he looks forward to following the Queensbury rules of boxing.?
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McGregor hired retired referee Joe Cortez to officiate his sparring sessions to familiarize himself with boxing rules. McGregor is going to face stiff penalties if he applies MMA actions during the match. With both fighters given the permission to use 8-ounce gloves, the UFC star is confident of knocking the former pound-for-pound king. He has not feared of Mayweather flooring him because Floyd has never had a KO victory since stopping Ricky Hatton in 2007.
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McGregor was quoted by boxingscene.com: ?I will go in and dismantle him at his own game. That?s what a true martial artist can do, they can adapt under any circumstance. Bruce Lee said, ?be like water,? and when the water enters a cup, it becomes the cup. That?s the philosophy I?m going into this contest. It doesn?t matter what rule set or stipulations they try and put on me, I can adapt and overcome any situation. And that?s what I will do on Aug. 26. I?m feeling very confident I can walk through any shot and break him down."
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Terence Crawford (31-0, 22 KO) is an American fighter from Nebraska. Julius Indongo (22-0, 11 KO) from Namibia has his WBA and IBF belts. Indongo fought in Russia and knocked out Russian Eduard Troyanovsky (26-1, 23 KO) for the IBF crown. He went to Glasgow to beat Scotland?s Ricky Burns (41-6-1, 14 KO) for the WBA title. Now he will fight in Lincoln, Nebraska and face hometown favorite Crawford, trying to become undisputed champion in just three fights.
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Crawford is ranked as the world's top light welterweight boxer by The Ring, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB), and BoxRec. He is also ranked as the world's third best boxer, pound for pound, by the TBRB and BoxRec and fourth by The Ring. In 2014, he was chosen Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America and ESPN.
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Indonggo previously held the IBO light-welterweight title from 2016 to 2017. As an amateur, Indongo represented Namibia at the 2008 Olympics. In December 3, 2016, in his first bout held outside Namibia. Despite being tagged as an underdog, Indongo knocked out Troyanovsky after only forty seconds of the first round with a left hook, becoming Namibia's fourth world boxing champion.
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Indongo then challenged WBA champion Ricky Burns in a unification bout on April 15, 2017. Indongo dominated the bout, knocking Burns down three times but the referee ruled all three as slips. He then wrested the WBA belt winning by unanimous decision.
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In the ongoing FIBA Asia Cup 2017, Australia defeated China, 97-71, while New Zealand routed Jordan, 98-70, to join three-time Asian champion Iran and two-time ruler South Korea in the semifinals of the Regional tournament. Iran will play against South Korea while Oceania rivals Australia and New Zealand will face each other anew in the semifinals.
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The Philippines will encounter host Lebanon while Jordan will be matched against dethroned champ China in the consolation round. It will be the Philippines? worst finish in the last four stagings of the basketball tourney after finishing fourth in Wuhan in 2011, second in Manila in 2013 and once again second in Changsha in 2015.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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