Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum has thrown down the gauntlet to rising Australian welterweight Jeff Horn as he sizes up a dream bout with Manny Pacquiao.
Horn will take on South Africa's Ali Funeka on the undercard of Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker's world title fight on December 10 in Auckland, where the influential Arum will be ringside with his Hall of Fame matchmaker, Bruce Trampler.
Arum said they will watching Horn closely as he contemplates the next opponent for his client Pacquaio, who recently reclaimed the WBO welterweight championship for the third time.
"My matchmakers think quite a lot of him," Arum said in a video message.
"They think he's a really good, good fighter and he belongs in the top echelon of welterweights.
"It remains to be seen, but he's an up and coming welterweight and he'll be fighting on the world stage in New Zealand, and then hopefully in the United States and the UK.
"He has to perform well, Horn does, on December 10. And then I can evaluate him based on the other welterweights that I've seen, particularly the American ones.
"But the evaluation Bruce, the best matchmaker in the world, has is probably more valuable than my own evaluation."
Arum, the founder and CEO of Top Rank boxing, promoted 26 of Muhammad Ali's fights and personally made $US50 million from the takings of last year's blockbuster between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Horn, a 28-year-old former schoolteacher and 2012 Olympian, is seeking a shot at a world title as soon as possible and said it was "amazing" to be talked about by such an illustrious figure.
"I never thought someone like Bob Arum would actually be speaking like that about me," he said.
Currently ranked No.2 in both the WBO and IBF welterweight divisions, Horn believes a points win over Funeka (39-5-3, 31 KOs) won't be enough to impress Arum and is aiming for a stoppage.
However, Funeka - who is 10 years his senior - has only been knocked out once before in his career.
"I usually strive for this pressure and I perform better under it. It's going to be a good opportunity. I've done it before at the Olympics," Horn said.
