Manny Pacquiao vs. Lucas Matthysse Fight Announced; Date, Location Revealed

Manny Pacquiao will be back in the ring July 14 (U.S. time) for a fight against Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pacquiao and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya announced the matchup Monday night:

It's Pacquiao's first fight since his controversial defeat to Jeff Horn in July 2017. Horn earned a unanimous decision (117-111, 115-113, 115-113), which raised many eyebrows at the time. However, five independent judges from the World Boxing Organization reviewed the bout and scored it for Horn as well.

Fighting Matthysse will offer Pacquiao an opportunity to atone for that defeat, and the 39-year-old already has his next fight lined up should he beat Matthysse.

Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said in an interview with ESPN.com's Dan Rafael that Pacquiao is hopeful he can battle WBO junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Lomachenko is 10-1 in his professional career, and he has a date with Jorge Linares on May 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Before he can get there, Pacquiao will need to get past Matthysse, which will be far easier said than done. The fact Pacquiao let the judges decide his fight with Horn illustrated how much he has slipped in the ring.

The pairing of Pacquiao and Matthysse is bound to create plenty of entertainment. While clearly lacking the punching power he displayed in his prime, Pacquiao remains an aggressive boxer. On the other side, 36 of Matthysse's 39 wins have come via knockout.

It's doubtful Pacquiao vs. Matthysse goes the distance in Kuala Lumpur.