Brisbane, Australia — A giant pair of polystyrene boxing gloves is promoting a fight billed as the largest boxing match staged in Australia.
On July 2 at Lang Park Stadium in Brisbane, World Boxing Organization welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao, from the Philippines, and Brisbane-based Olympian Jeff Horn will compete in a fight marketed as "the battle of Brisbane."
Pacquiao has held the welterweight title since 2016 and won 11 major world titles. Horn, then a Brisbane schoolteacher, represented Australia in the 2012 Olympic Games and turned professional the following year. WBO ranks him world No. 2 welterweight.
Polystyrene Solutions, the trading name of privately held Fx Pro Art Pty. Ltd., based at Ashmore, Australia, manufactured the gloves in only two weeks.
Floor manager Scott Ricardo told Plastics News they were "rushed out because it was a late order."
The solid PS gloves were computer profiled and hand shaped. A polyurethane hard coat was sprayed on to make them more durable. They were then lightly sanded, primed, painted and vinyl artwork applied.
"It was a pretty easy job," Ricardo said.
The pair weigh 110 pounds and each glove is attached to a wooden base.
Fx Pro Art was established in 1999 and changed its trading name to Polystyrene Solutions in 2009 to better reflect its core business. It specializes in themed custom-manufactured projects and foam letters. It employs three people.
A Brisbane City Council spokesman said the gloves were commissioned to "bring the 'battle of Brisbane' out of the stadium and into the streets by encouraging the public to get behind the event and provide a colourful canvas for fans to sign messages of support to both athletes." The city and the Queensland State Government commissioned the gloves for an undisclosed amount. After the fight, they will be used for fundraising activities.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said more than 44,000 tickets have been sold for the fight and it will be televised to 150 million viewers worldwide. Quirk expects the bout to deliver an economic impact of more than A$23 million (US$17.6 million) to the city.
