Jeff Horn's dream of a Manny Pacquiao rematch appears unlikely to come to fruition, with the Filipino great eyeing a return to the US and his own management inching closer to a deal to fight Anthony Mundine.
Pacquiao made an emphatic comeback to the ring on Sunday, scoring his first stoppage victory in nearly a decade with a seventh-round knockout of Argentine Lucas Matthysse to win the WBA regular welterweight championship.
It was his first outing since losing his WBO title to Horn in Brisbane in July last year.
Horn was quick to ask for a rematch via social media but judging by the post-fight reactions of Pacquiao, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Duco Events boss Dean Lonergan, he won't get his wish - at least not this year.
Arum no longer promotes Pacquiao, who staged the Matthysse event through his own promotional company, but wants to pit him against one of Top Rank's main drawcards, Terence Crawford or Vasyl Lomachenko.
Pacquiao told the LA Times he is keen to head back to America, where he hasn't fought since November 2016.
The 39-year-old is also reluctant to return to Australia given the controversial circumstances that surrounded his defeat to Horn.
"Manny is the guy who would produce the lion's share of the pay-per-view, so it's really his call," Arum said.
"Whichever fight he chooses to do will be extraordinary."
Meanwhile, talks are progressing between Lonergan and Mundine's advisors Emad Dib and Adam Houda over a proposed clash with Horn later this year.
It shapes as an ideal way for Horn to rebound from his humbling defeat to Crawford last month, although it would do nothing to advance the 30-year-old's hopes of putting himself back into the world title picture.
However, it could net Horn as much as $4 million if figures floated by Mundine's camp are to be believed.
"Things can change on a whim for god knows what reason in boxing, so I wouldn't rule out a Jeff Horn vs Manny Pacquiao fight at some stage," Lonergan told AAP.
"But we are deep in discussions with the Mundine camp.
"There's a good likelihood (it will happen), but let's wait and see. You just never know."
Lonergan said Pacquiao's victory underlined the magnitude of Horn's achievement at Suncorp Stadium.
"What it does do is it puts in perspective Jeff's win last year. It proved Pacquiao's not past it, like a lot of people were saying," he said.
