Pacquiao vs Matthysse

[walrus]

I have absolutely had a man crush on pacquia for years. I’m still a fan of his boxing but very disappointed in his politics.

So you will watch his fight?

I will definitely watch it. Not sure how this espn thing works yet. Is it pay per view? If so I can’t watch it live as I’m working and already plan on taking the night off for big drama vs canelo but if I am off that night I will pay for it. Like I said don’t like his politics but still gave respect for his athleticism

[Master]

I thought it was ppv on ESPN plus.

[walrus]

I thought it was ppv on ESPN plus.

That would make sense with the plus name. Oh well, I’ll watch the replay. Sometimes a few sites will play it ten minutes after it ends.

[Master]

Manny Pacquiao still hasn't quit boxing, but boxing has quit him



Manny Pacquiao has become a world traveler over the last few years, though it has nothing to do with his political career. Instead, the Filipino senator has fought in China and Australia in the last five years, and will meet Lucas Matthysse on Sunday (Saturday in the U.S.) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

There was also the much-discussed bout with Amir Khan that was supposed to have taken place in Dubai, that was going to be financed by some uber-rich people who never came through with the money.

As he’s become less of a draw in the U.S. and less of an elite fighter, there has been a significant decrease in demand to see him. He’s not as good as he once was, he no longer knocks anyone out and he’s only a part-time fighter at best.

The result is that his team has had to look elsewhere to get him fights, where seeing a fighter of his stature, even though he’s well past his prime, is something of an attraction.

The fight with Matthysse nearly didn’t come off. It was originally pegged to be on ESPN Pay-Per-view in the United States, but the financing for the deal was so uncertain that a deal couldn’t be done in time. Instead, the fight will be distributed in the U.S. on the streaming service ESPN+.

Millions of American fans saw Pacquiao lose a controversial decision on ESPN last year to the unheralded Australian, Jeff Horn. It was viewed at least in part by 4.4 million, with an average audience of 2.8 million.

How far has Pacquiao fallen since then? His fight on Saturday with Matthysse for another phony world title will be available on the new ESPN streaming service where it likely will be seen by far fewer than 100,000 viewers in the U.S. ESPN has no places to release subscriber numbers for ESPN+, or viewership of any particular event.

Pacquiao goes into the fight without his long-time trainer and confidante, Freddie Roach, who built him into a once-in-a-generation star and led him to unprecedented heights. Pacquiao never told Roach that he was fired, and insisted that media reports indicating that Roach was let go, were incorrect. He was apparently miffed that Roach suggested to Yahoo Sports after the fight with Horn that he retire.

When to retire is a very personal decision, and is largely up to each fighter. Pacquiao is only a shell of the fighter he was at his peak, around a decade ago, in which he was in the midst of a dominant 15-bout winning streak.

Despite his advancing years and clearly declining skills, he’s not yet at a point where a commission needs to consider not licensing him. He’s no longer a superstar, and would get destroyed by the truly elite welterweights, such as Terrence Crawford, Errol Spence, Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, among others.

But he’s a competent professional boxer and will beat a majority of the fighters in his division. He’s simply not beating the elite guys.

The problem, though, is that those who have appreciated Pacquiao’s rise, and watched how generous he was with the hundreds of millions of dollars he’d won, worry that he’s soon to have to fight for the money.

He’s built churches and schools and given money to every conceivable cause, some well-deserving and many exceptionally dubious and unvetted.

He’s been poorly served by those closest to him, the unusually large entourage that follows him everywhere, often with hands out. His charitable spirit is admirable, but giving his money to con artists and charlatans and not to those truly in need is questionable.

One hoped to see a more dignified ending for such an elite athlete. And while he’s had more than his share of flaws as a man – promoter Oscar De La Hoya once gave him several hundred thousand dollars of cash in a suitcase as an inducement to sign a promotional contract, and Pacquiao gambled it away that night – he’s cared deeply about his country and made it a far better place to live with his generosity.

His former promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, often called him the social welfare system in the Philippines.

With declining skills, he can’t command the same kind of purses, and is avoiding the U.S. because of the taxes he must pay as a foreign athlete.

It’s a sad and disturbing finish to a great career, and he insists he’s going to go on after this fight.

It’s all too familiar to long-time boxing fans, who have seen great champions such as Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones, Evander Holyfield and many others hang around well past their sold-by date because they needed the money and/or couldn’t drag themselves away from the spotlight.

This isn’t setting up to be a great ending for Pacquiao.

Hopefully, he’ll come to his senses and gets out before he loses them.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/man...190940254.html

[walrus]

As a kid he sold doughnuts on the streets of the Philippines trying to make money for his family. I think he really wanted to do good after seeing the poverty in his country but from what I read he was easily manipulated by the wrong crowd. Mix all that in with a few thousand shots to the head and it can be disastrous. Manny has a good heart, always put on a good show and he was always something special in the ring. I do wish he had been able to retire on top. It’s a bit sad to see him being written off in such a way.

[Hulk]

Pacquiao should still beat Matthysse unless he runs into a big shot. Like both fighters so best man win.

[Master]

Pacquiao 'ready' to regain title after weigh-in with Matthysse



Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao weighed in Saturday comfortably under the 147-pound (67-kilogramme) limit and said he was "ready" to win back the welterweight belt against WBA champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina.

Pacquiao, the only man to have won world titles in eight weight divisions in a glittering 23-year career, tipped the scales at 146 pounds.

"I am ready. Everything is under control," said the 39-year-old Pacquiao. "I am motivated, I am happy and I am hungry."

The heavily tattooed Matthysse played up his one-inch height advantage by looking down on Pacquiao as the two came face-to-face for the last time before Sunday's 12-round showdown in Kuala Lumpur.

"I am feeling good," Matthysse told AFP as he was about to demolish a fruit platter for his post weigh-in meal after coming in the heavier man, just under the limit at 146.7 pounds.

"I made the weight, I'm ready to eat and I'm ready for the battle tomorrow."

The weigh-in was held in mildly chaotic scenes at a packed auditorium in the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Hundreds of mainly Filipino fans pushed forward to get a glimpse of the fighters as they left prompting fears the stage might collapse under their weight before order was restored.

Pacquiao is challenging "The Machine" Matthysse for the World Boxing Association welterweight belt at the Axiata Arena on Sunday, knowing defeat could lower the curtain on one of the greatest careers in boxing history.

Pacquiao faced calls to retire from friends, family and even his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach when he lost the WBO belt to journeyman Australian Jeff Horn a year ago.

Roach has been replaced for the fight by Pacquiao's long-term friend and cornerman Buboy Fernandez and another defeat could see the veteran "National Fist" hang up his gloves for good.

But victory for Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) would see him become a five-time welterweight world champion and extend his legendary status and his life in the ring beyond his 40th birthday in December.

Pacquiao is going for his 60th victory since turning pro in 1995, but despite winning 38 of his first 47 fights by knockout, he has not stopped an opponent in nine years.

Knock-out specialist Matthysse has finished 36 of his 39 wins inside the distance and took the vacant WBA belt after an eighth-round stoppage of Thailand's Teerachai Sithmorseng in January.

But the last time he faced an opponent of Pacquiao's calibre he was knocked out in the 10th round by Ukrainian super lightweight world champion Viktor Postol in 2015.

Matthysse suffered a fractured left eye socket after taking a beating from Postol that put him out of boxing for 19 months and this is only his third fight since.

A strong undercard features three world title fights. The interim World Boxing Association featherweight belt is on the line when Mexico's Edivaldo Ortega (26-1-1, 16 KOs) fights unbeaten and highly rated Filipino prospect Jhack Tepora (21-0, 16 KOs).

Vastly experienced South African Moruti "Baby Face" Mthalane (35-2, 24 KOs) defends his International Boxing Federation flyweight title against the unbeaten Pakistani Muhammad Waseem (8-0, 6 KOs).

Carlos Canizares of Venezuela (20-0-1, 16 KOs) puts his WBA light flyweight title and unbeaten record on the line against Chinese rookie Lu Bin (1-0, 1 KO), who could become the first boxer in history to win a world title in his second professional fight.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pacquiao-...030155256.html

[Master]

THE WBA WORLD WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
One of this summer’s biggest battles will take place live and exclusive on BoxNation when the legendary Manny Pacquiao steps up to face Argentine knockout sensation Lucas Matthysse for his WBA World Welterweight Title.

Taking place at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on July 14th, eight-division World Champion Pacquiao will be looking to bounce back in style following his shock defeat to Australian ace Jeff Horn.

However, in Matthysse he faces one of boxing’s most formidable punchers, who, with a record of 36 knockouts in 39 wins, always comes with bad intentions.

He displayed that in his latest win when he stopped the previously undefeated Tewa Kiram in the eighth round to win the vacant WBA World Welterweight Title.

Both men are two of the most exciting, all-action fighters around, with fireworks guaranteed when they meet in the ring.



"[Matthysse] is a very aggressive fighter. I am not worried about his style. My worry is I need to get 100 per cent conditioned - the stamina, the power and the strength to survive the 12 rounds," Pacquiao said.

"You will see a young Manny Pacquiao throwing a lot of punches, and more footwork, head movements, side by side [motions] - that’s my goal to achieve for this fight. It’s going to be a great night," he said.

35-year-old Matthysse can’t wait to get into the ring and has promised BoxNation fight fans that he will make sure Pacquiao is given no respite.

"We're focused very much on this fight, and people will see the same Lucas Matthysse as always, the one who always looks for the action. It's a fight that I like because of our similar styles and because we are of the same height," Matthysse said.

"I expect the same Manny Pacquiao as always. He is a respectable Champion, but I'm a Champion as well. I've been fighting for a long time. I know he has a lot of experience as well.

"It will be a great fight, and I expect to see the same Manny Pacquiao I watched on television. Now I'm going to see him in the ring. This is something very big for me and my career," he said.

The stacked undercard features three World Title fights. Heavy-handed southpaw Jhack Tepora aims to win the Interim WBA World Title against Edivaldo Ortega as chief support.

Moruti Mthalane meets Muhammad Waseem for the vacant IBF Flyweight crown, while Bin Lu challenges WBA Light-Flyweight titlist Carlos Canizales.

[Batman]

@Master don't forget about Sky Sports tonight, they are showing Tyron Zeuge v Rocky Fielding at 10pm

[Spicoli]

So this airs on a Sunday? Have to say if promotion roll out is any indicator Arum may want to think about his swan song.

[Freedom]

[walrus]

So it seems ESPN plus I’d 4.99 a month. It does have a seven day free trial. If it were to have regular quality boxing I may be inclined to order it but I suspect that won’t be the case. ESPN should have just aired it regularly.

[TitoFan]

Just tuned into this. Anybody else watching? Canizales and Bin Lu having a HELL of a fight. Wasn't expecting it to be that intense.

[TitoFan]

By intense I mean they're throwing nothing but bombs. I thought Canizales would just blow Bin Lu away, but it's fairly competitive and entertaining. Canizales looks a notch above, though.

[TitoFan]

What a round! Both guys giving as good as they get. Bin Lu's impressive. Can't believe he's only got one pro fight. I thought this would be easy pickings. Damn good fight!