Manny Pacquiao is not quitting on boxing just yet. In fact, his desire to fight is still burning. This coming July 14, Pacman will lace a pair of boxing gloves once again, as he takes on Argentinian slugger and WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse. Read on for a breakdown of his bout below.
Betting Preview for the WBA Regular Welterweight Title Fight Between Lucas Matthysse vs Manny Pacquiao on July 14 2018
Where: Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
When: Saturday, July 14, 2018
TV Broadcast: Pay-Per-View
Betting on Lucas Matthysse (+160)
Matthysse is the reigning WBA welterweight title holder after knocking out Thai fighter Tewa Kiram in Inglewood back in January. It wasn’t the best of performance for Matthysse, but at least he came away with a belt, which was all that mattered. Matthysse showed resiliency in that fight, as he was able to etch a comeback victory after getting a cut in his left eye in the fourth round. Matthysse is now 35, so he’s definitely lost some speed – but not much power. Matthysse has 39 wins, 36 coming by way of knockouts, to go with four losses (one knockout).
The Argentinian has a two-inch reach advantage over Pacquiao, and he will have to use it in order to stave off attacks from the future Hall of Famer. That’s going to be easier said than done, but Pacquiao doesn’t have the same blinding speed he had before, so Matthysse should have some measure of success in that department.
Betting on Manny Pacquiao (-200)
Pacquiao is no longer the fighter he used to be – the type that will overpower opponents with a flurry of power punches and speedy combinations. That said, it’s going to be unwise for Matthysse to underestimate what Pacquiao is still capable of pulling off. Pacquiao is coming off a controversial loss to Australian Jeff Horn in July of last year, the same fight he lost his ownership of his WBO welterweight title. The Filipino legend is now 39-years-old and, as mentioned earlier, has lost some speed, but Matthysse isn’t exactly a fast target either so Pacquiao should be able to plant telling blows. Also, don’t expect Pacquiao, who’s held multiple title belts in multiple divisions, to take this fight for granted, as he’s reportedly eyeing to win this bout to set him up with a high-profile meeting with lightweight superstar Vasyl Lomachenko.
At press, sources tell us that Pacquiao is feeling healthy and ready to wear the WBA Regular Welterweight Title belt.
Writer’s Prediction
Matthysse beats Pacquiao via split decision.
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