Jeff Horn, Manny Pacquiao rematch: 'I am ready,' says Australian boxer

Shrugging off his opponent’s decision to support calls asking for a review of the Battle of Brisbane’s result, Jeff Horn said on Thursday that the ring is the appropriate place to settle the dispute. On Sunday, he was awarded the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown through a unanimous decision, beating Manny Pacquiao.

“If he wants to come back and do it again, we will do it,” Inquirer quotes Horn as saying. He added that though the decision is up to Pacquiao, he is "ready for a rematch."

Pacquiao backed a formal request by the Philippines’ Games and Amusement Board on Wednesday for the WBO to review the result. In a statement issued by his office, he said he loves boxing and does not want to see it die “because of unfair decision and officiating.”

“I had already accepted the decision but as a leader and, at the same time, fighter I have the moral obligation to uphold sportsmanship, truth and fairness in the eyes of the public,” the statement reads. The result of the Horn-Pacquiao fight has been widely questioned, with some claiming Pacquiao should have won. But on Wednesday, the WBO said the discretion of a referee or judge cannot be reversed.

Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has reportedly met with a promoter behind the Horn and Pacquiao fight to seal a bid for a rematch. Pacquiao’s camp is yet to nod the return bout while Horn expressed readiness to prove he has won the Battle of Brisbane.

The politician held a meeting with Duco Events director Dean Lonergan at the Shingle Inn at Brisbane Square on Thursday, according to The Australian. Some Pacquiao supporters cast some doubt on his ability to fight, with fans urging him to retire.

But if the rematch goes ahead, several countries and states are expected to bid strongly for it. Prior to the rematch’s confirmation, Palaszczuk was quick to outline plans to secure the fight for Brisbane. Her intent to keep the Horn-Pacquiao fight in Brisbane is no surprise, given the huge economic returns from the first match. Sunday’s blockbuster at Suncorp Stadium is believed to have brought more than $20 million into the local economy.

The fight was a massive exposure for Brisbane, thanks to television network ESPN in the United States, where the fight was the highest rater on a cable channel for ten years. Palaszczuk said the fight speaks volumes for Queensland being able to put on a great event.

Critics slam ‘Battle of Brisbane’ judges, call Jeff Horn a 'dirty fighter'