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​Aussie School Teacher Jeff Horn Misses Out On Manny Pacquiao Superfight, Maybe, Possibly

The farcical negotiations between Team Pacquiao and Queenslander Jeff Horn take another twist.

Despite being told by Manny Pacquiao's promoter to continue looking for a date and venue for their fight, Jeff Horn found out via Twitter yesterday that he had somehow missed out on the chance to go head-to-head with the Filipino great.

Negotiations between team Pacquiao and team Khan have come to terms for the April 23 bout as this is what the fans wanted. — Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao)February 26, 2017

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Pacquiao opted to take the fight after the British boxing great Amir Khan topped an online poll earlier this month in which Pacquiao asked his twitter followers to decide his next opponent. Khan won with 22,000 votes compared to just 3,000 for Horn. Pacquiao has been assured of $38 million for the fight, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates but no one, including Pacquaio's promoter, is convinced it will go ahead.

"Manny seems to believe they will come up with the money,'' Bob Arum said. "I have some reservations whether it will happen or not.''

The tweet has left Horn's manager, Dan Lonergan similarily baffled.

"I just find this incredibly bizarre. Because I spoke to Bob Arum and Bob told me that the deal in the UAE wouldn't be going ahead and we should continue to look at dates for Pacquiao vs Horn in Australia. The question I was would ask is very simple: where's the venue, whose the promoter, and whose putting the guarantees up? Because none of those questions have been answered as far as I can see. But if they can make the deal for 38 million good luck to them," he told Fox Sports.

Previously, Pacquaio's manager, Bob Arum had assured Horn's camp that the fight was a near certainty.

"We are very excited about this fight,'' he said in January.

"Jeff Horn is the kind of young man who really enhances any sport. He's well spoken, looks good, comes from a good family and being a former schoolteacher is a well-educated young man. He's a real asset to the sport and a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn is something that is great for boxing."

The fight was initially slated for Brisbane's Suncorp stadium on April 23rd and would have given the second-ranked Horn the chance to claim Pacquiao's welterweight world title.