Manny Pacquiao to fight Jeff Horn as part of planned four-fight farewell tour, Arum says

Manny Pacquiao’s promoter reported Tuesday that the veteran welterweight champion will fight little-known Australian Jeff Horn April 22 as part of a planned four-fight farewell world tour.

Bob Arum said he has agreed to terms with Horn and is entertaining site offers in Australia and the United Arab Emirates and will meet with record seven-division champion Pacquiao, 38, in the Philippines once that part of the deal is complete.

“We plan to have Manny fight four times this year – we have an offer in Russia in July, another offer in Europe for September and in the U.S. against [unbeaten two-belt junior-welterweight champion] Terence Crawford in November or December,” Arum said.

“That will be Manny’s last fight.”

Who will televise the Horn bout is unknown given HBO’s turn to pay-per-view broadcasts involving Miguel Cotto next month and Gennady Golovkin in March.

Arum said he could make the bout a self-produced pay-per-view, take it to Showtime or air it on broadcast TV.

The deal with Horn (16-0, 11 knockouts) is an unappetizing turn for Pacquiao, who won the World Boxing Organization belt over Jessie Vargas by unanimous decision on Nov. 5 in Las Vegas.

Horn, a 2012 Australian Olympian, is the WBO’s No. 2-rated opponent.

Originally, there was talk that Pacquiao’s sharpness in beating Vargas and Timothy Bradley Jr. before that could sway Floyd Mayweather Jr. to return from retirement to pursue a rematch of their record-selling but disappointing May 2015 bout while chasing a possible 50-0 career finish.

Also, unbeaten two-belt junior-welterweight champion Terence Crawford seemed to be the best possible opponent for Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs).

“No, it’s a very good turn,” Arum said. “As far as Mayweather, forget it, he’s retired. As far as Crawford is concerned, he could be the final opponent.”