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Cesar Gorillo .

THE boxing itch never leaves the system of Manny Pacquiao. In fact, on July 18, 2018, he will face another world welterweight boxing champion in the person of Argentinian Lucas Matthyse at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Of course, it’s not about money because his earnings have left him billions of pesos which will leave him ultra rich for the rest of his life. His $120 million alone earned during the Mayweather fight has left his purse with P6 billion, not to mention his average earnings of $30 million in his superfights with dela Hoya, Marquez, Clotty, Cotto, Morales, Margarito, Mosley, Hatton, Algiere, Vargas, Bradly and Rios.  This is not to mention his other opponents which earned him also in the millions of dollars but not in the magnitude of his superfights.

If he wants to prove himself that he can still snag the championship, he has proven it with Mayweather, Bradley (first fight) and Horn, all of which he lost but as per analysis with boxing experts all over the world, he won. He was only unlucky that the judges gave the victory to his opponents because they counted more on the shots they landed on the face of Paquiao, but they never counted the hits that Pacquiao made against them as later found out in the “compubox” recorded in the computer.

In the case of Bradley, while Pacquiao was smiling, Bradley was carried in the wheelchair to the hospital.  Horn was carried on the emergency bed towards the hospital with his face swollen as if bitten by millions of bees while Pacquiao was beside his wife Jinky, all in smiles saying, “I thought I won the fight.” In the case of Mayweather, all world known athletes like Kobe Bryant saw a comedy in the decision. Even Youtube came out with fights which Mayweather lost and one fight was the one with Pacquiao.

If the problem is with age, even coach Freddie Roach himself declared that Pacquiao has aged in number only but he can still fight like a 30-year old.  Thus, I see no problem with his opponent, Lucas Matthysse, 35 years old, a holder of 44 fights with 39 wins, four losses and one no contest.

His losses were the one with American Zab Zuda, Russian Victor Postol, Danny Garcia and Devon Alexander. He knocked down Judah in the tenth round but lost in the 12ound decision which was controversial. He was knocked down by Garcia in the fifth round and never stood up because he was trying to protect the injury in his eyes. He had to recover for one and a half year after that fight. He also lost to American world welterweight champion Devon Alexander in another very controversial fight.

Two of his big wins were against American Lamont Peterson and the feared Russian welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov.

Almost 90 percent of his wins by knockout came before the fifth round,  with about half of that within the first and second round.

A formidable opponent indeed, but with the way Pacquiao has faced the greatest fighters of the world, this latest assignment will still be considered as another of his normal assignment.

My prediction is, Pacquiao will definitely win unless again when the judges make another magic.

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