Pacquiao vs. Matthysse: Fight Time, Online Odds and Projected Winner
July 14, 2018
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring after over a year out of action on Sunday (Saturday in the U.S.), as he takes on Lucas Matthysse for the WBA welterweight title in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The fight will be the 39-year-old's first since his controversial defeat to Australia's Jeff Horn in July 2017.
He faces a tough test against Matthysse who is a powerful fighter with an 82 per cent knockout rate, per BoxRec.
When: 11:30 p.m. ET (Saturday in U.S.), 4:30 a.m. BST (Sunday in UK)
Where: Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Odds: Pacquiao win -213, Matthysse win +155 (courtesy of OddsShark)
Pacquiao will celebrate his 40th birthday in December, but he shows no sign of walking away from his sport just yet. The Filipino has enjoyed an illustrious career and has a record of 59-7-2. However, four of his losses have come in his past nine fights.
The 11-time world champion is an aggressive boxer who has great speed and experience, but there's no doubt he's past his physical prime and lacks the power he possessed earlier in his career.
He lost his WBO welterweight crown last time out after a controversial unanimous decision ruled in Horn's favour. Pacquaio spent the 12 rounds outhitting the Australian, but the referees awarded the victory to Horn.
The Filipino has won world titles in eight weight classes but has said he will be the underdog against Matthysse, per AFP (h/t Fox Sports).
"This is going to be a tough fight," Pacquiao said. "Matthysse is also a knockout artist. But I'm excited to fight and be a world champion again. I'm the underdog in this fight, but I'm used to it. It serves as a big motivation for me to train and fight hard to win the crown."
Pacquiao parted ways with trainer Freddie Roach in April after more than 15 years of working together. Pac Man has still been happy to show off his preparations for the fight:
Matthysse will prove a dangerous opponent, as 36 of his 39 wins have come from knockouts. He said he knows what to expect from Pacquiao, per BoxingScene.com.
"I expect the same Manny Pacquiao as always," the Argentinian said. "He is a respectable champion, but I'm a champion as well. I've been fighting for a long time. I know he has a lot of experience as well. It will be a great fight, and I expect to see the same Manny Pacquiao I watched on television."
BoxNation showed the two fighters' records:
Matthysse is strong and aggressive and more than capable of taking advantage of an increasing vulnerable Pacquiao. The fight looks like being a close contest, and Matthysse may have the power to spring a shock in the late rounds.