Manny Pacquiao
Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao speaks to the media after watching the exhibition of Philippine Gold "Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms" in New York, October 12, 2015. Boxing great Manny Pacquiao attended a news conference after attending an exhibition of Philippine gold at the Asia Society in New York. Pacquiao recently announced he is running for a Senate seat in the Philippines national elections next year. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

Manny Pacquiao is set to visit Sydney next month for speaking engagements, but what awaits the Filipino Boxing icon is an offer to fight Brisbane star Jeff Horn. Ranked as No. 7 contender for the World Boxing Organisation welterweight title, Horn is poised to become a worldwide hit in boxing, with promoter Duco Events attempting to approach Pacquiao for a potential bout next year.

Duco Events matchmaker Stuart Duncan will take advantage of Pacquiao not having an opponent yet as he plans talks with the former eight-division titlist, who will arrive in Melbourne on Nov. 16. Pacquiao has yet to pick an opponent for his comeback fight, but has been linked with several names including Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Terence Crawford, Kell Brook and Juan Manuel Marquez.

“He’s [Horn] beating world-class opponents in great, exciting fashion and he has the talent to beat any fighter in the world,” Duncan said, reports the Courier Mail. “I will be making an approach to Manny about a fight with Jeff next year.”

Horn is excited about the possibility of fighting one of the greatest boxers in the world, believing it would give him the chance to build his profile on the world stage. The 27-year-old Brisbane schoolteacher, who is undefeated in 12 pro fights after making the quarterfinals at the London Olympics, will fight Argentina’s Alfredo Blanco on Thursday, which will be on the same card of the trans-Tasman battle between Australia’s former world heavyweight title challenger Kali Meehan and New Zealand’s Joseph Parker.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs), who is expected to return into boxing action early next year once he full recovers from a surgery that repaired a torn rotator cuff suffered against Floyd Mayweather Jr in May, revealed he will start training by the end of the year for what he plans to be a farewell fight before the Philippine national elections begin. The 36-year-old Filipino said his shoulder is almost healed and could be ready for training in November or December.

"My shoulder is 80 to 90 per cent healed and I believe I can start training in November or December so I can fight early next year," Pacquiao told the NY Daily News .

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