Manny Pacquiao to fight Lucas Matthysse for WBA welterweight title
The 39-year-old has not fought since losing the WBO title to Jeff Horn last July
Manny Pacquiao, the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing, will fight Argentine Lucas Matthysse for the WBA welterweight title on 14 July.
Pacquiao, 39, last fought in a unanimous points loss to Australian Jeff Horn in July last year. He is ranked second in the division with an overall record of 57-6-2.
Matthysse meanwhile beat Thailand's Tewa Kiram to win the vacant WBA welterweight belt in January, extending his record to 38-4-0. He has been knocked out just once in his 14-year professional career, by the Ukrainian Viktor Postol.
Britain's current boxing world champions
Show all 8Oscar de la Hoya announced the upcoming bout will be staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Signed, sealed, and delivered: Proud to officially announce that WBA welterweight world champion @MatthysseLucas will put his title on the line against @mannypacquiao in Kuala Lumpur,” De la Hoya said on Twitter.
Pacquiao has replaced his long-term trainer Freddie Roach for the fight and will instead work with Buboy Fernandez ahead of the contest.
Roach had previously advised Pacquaio – who was elected as a senator in his native Philippines in June 2016 – to retire after his points loss to Horn last July.
“I'm gonna have a long talk with him about that,” said Roach, who had worked with the boxer since 2001. “Because I think maybe being a senator, being a fighter, both is maybe too much.”
But Pacquiao disregarded his advice and will instead contest his 69th professional fight.
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