Manny Pacquiao Reveals He Wants to Fight Again in 2018 After Lucas Matthysse Win

Manny Pacquiao has revealed his plan to fight again in 2018 after he stopped Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round on Sunday.

That's per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, but he would not be drawn into discussing potential opponents:

The win was Pacquiao's first knockout victory since 2009, when he ended his fight with Miguel Cotto in the 12th round.

As a result of his success in Kuala Lumpur, the 39-year-old picked up the WBA (regular) welterweight title, and he is eager to defend the belt, per GMA News' Mav Gonzales:

ESPN shared some highlights from the bout, in which a knockout in Pac-Man's favour had been coming after he sent the Argentinian to the mat in two earlier rounds:

After losing to Jeff Horn in his last outing—albeit in controversial circumstances—four of the Filipino's seven career defeats had come in his previous nine fights.

There was a gap of more than a year between that bout and this one, too.

Given his age, it seemed Pacquiao might finally hang up his gloves, particularly if he had struggled against Matthysse, but it was a commanding performance from the veteran.

As Ring Magazine's Ryan Songalia noted, Pac-Man rolled back the years with his impressive showing:

The win was, remarkably, the 60th of Pacquiao's storied career, and it showed there's still life in him yet as a professional boxer.

As such, it will hardly be surprising if he does step into the ring for a second time in 2018. Should he win that, it could pave the way for further bouts next year and beyond.