FILIPINO ring icon Manny Pacquiao may be half a step slower, his killer instinct nowhere to be found.
But he knows deep in his heart, he still has what it takes to win on the big stage.
This is the reason he chose an opponent who could push him to the limit—World Boxing Association welterweight titlist Lucas Martin Matthysse, the dangerous 36-year-old champion from Argentina, whose punching power is his no. 1 asset as he boasts of 36 knockouts out of his 39 wins and against only four losses.
“I want to prove and show that I am not done yet,” Pacquiao said during a press conference announcing their fight at City of Dreams yesterday.
The 39-year-old fighting senator from Sarangani (59-7-2 with 38 KOs) will be aiming for Matthysse’s WBA welterweight title on July 15 in Malaysia.
Pacquiao’s confidence notwithstanding, it is clear, however, that he is no longer the energetic dynamo of old, who could unleash his punches in bunches. His last KO win came on Nov. 14, 2009, when referee Kenny Bayless stepped in 55 seconds into the 12th and final round and stopped the mauling he handed to Miguel Cotto.
The Filipino ring icon, who is also coming off a controversial loss to Australian Jeff Horn on July 2, 2017 in Brisbane, will be without his long-time trainer Freddie Roach Pacquiao and will instead be coached by Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez and Raides “Nonoy” Neri.
And the fact that his foe is himself no pushover with a killer punch to boot make Pacquiao’s goal all the more steep.
“This is my time,” said Matthysse through Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions’ president, who translated for him.
“I will not go to Malaysia to give up the title,” added the champion, who wore a Barong Tagalog he brought at the hotel.
Matthysse even went to the extent of saying that while Pacquiao is still a worthy challenger, “he is not in his prime anymore.”
That, in itself, could be Pacquiao’s primary motivation.
Pacquiao’s MP Promotions handled the press tour, the final stop of which will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 20.
Dubbed “Fight of Champions,” the mega-fight will usher in Pacquiao’s debut as a fight promoter at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, featuring three other world title fights in the undercard.