The upcoming fight between our very own Manny Pacquiao and Lucas Matthysse of Argentina has generated a lot of interest in social media and boxing circles, and by the way I see it, this fight should not be missed by fans.
I even believe the fight should have been hosted in the Philippines and dubbed ?Thrilla in Manila 2,? and why not? Although no longer in their primes, Pacquiao and Matthysse are still entertaining fighters who once left a trail of destruction during their peaks.
Pacquiao is entering the fight as the challenger with Matthysse holding the World Boxing Association world welterweight (147 pounds) championship.
The Filipino boasts of being the only fighter in boxing history to win world championships in eight divisions, from flyweight (112 pounds) to junior middleweight (154 pounds).
Pacquiao?s record is 59-7-2 with 38 knockouts, and his last stoppage win was in November 2009 over Miguel Cotto at welterweight. The Filipino is already 38 years old.
Matthysse, on the other hand, may still be a puzzle to many Filipino fight fans because despite having explosive punching power, he has yet to rule a division with impunity. Also, Matthysse is from Argentina that has produced its own breed of boxers who know how to brawl.
The Argentine?s record is 39-4 with 36 KOs and his last two wins were by stoppage over opponents with hardly any name recall. Matthysse is 35 years old.
So how will this fight possibly unfold?
For sure, Pacquiao will use his speed and excellent ring movement to befuddle Matthysse, who is not known for fast fists. The Filipino will mostly likely avoid trading leather with Matthysse as the Argentine is perceived to have the edge in punching power.
Matthysse, on the other hand, will try to consistently land his bombs on Pacquiao hoping to slow down or stop the Filipino. And let us take note that Matthysse is a very good finisher or one that goes for the kill if he sees his opponent crumbling from a punch or two.
While Pacquiao does have the edge in throwing combinations, Matthysse is not far behind in this department. In fact, Matthysse when throwing combinations has demonstrated that he has deadly power in almost every punch he throws.
So the question is?will the fight end via stoppage or knockout?
Possibly. Let me explain.
Although Pacquiao?s punching power has already deteriorated, he still can land his vaunted left cross and two- to three-punch combinations. And Matthysse, like many of his compatriots fighting in the ring, is not known for possessing excellent defense. So Pacquiao can still land his vaunted left hook or his two- to three-punch combination on Matthysse and score a stoppage or knockout. And while Pacquiao may no longer have knockout power, he still can deposit fighters on the canvas.
But here is the bad news for Pacquiao?it is impossible to walk through the punches of Matthysse because they have power. So that means the Filipino just cannot land consistently on Matthysse the way he did against a much bigger Antonio Margarito in November 2010.
Also, Matthysse still has one-punch knockout power.
So Pacquiao-Matthysse can turn out to be a thriller despite the protagonists no longer in their prime. And the ?Thrilla in Manila? also featured a Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier who were no longer in their primes.
So should we cry the Pacquiao-Matthysse fight is not being held in Manila as the ?Thrilla in Manila 2??
