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Manny Pacquiao (left) and Lucas Matthysse at the weigh-in for their WBA welterweight title bout in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. – Reuters photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao weighed Saturday comfortably under the 147-pound (67-kilogram) limit and said he was "ready" to win the welterweight belt against WBA champion Lucas Matthysse d & # 39; Argentina. 19659003] Pacquiao, the only man to have won world titles in eight weight divisions during a stellar 23-year career, tipped the scales to 146 pounds.
"I'm ready, everything is under control," said Pacquiao, 39. "I'm motivated, I'm happy and I'm hungry."
The heavily tattooed Matthysse played his one-inch-size advantage while watching Pacquiao while the two were meeting each other for the last time before the 12th "I feel good," Matthysse said at AFP while he was about to demolish a fruit platter for his weighing meal after the arrival of the heavier man, just below the limit of 146 , 7 books.
"I took the weight, I'm ready to eat and I'm ready for battle tomorrow."
The weighing took place in slightly chaotic scenes in a crowded auditorium of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Center of Kuala Lumpur
Hundreds of mainly Filipino fans pushed forward to get a glimpse of fighters upon their departure, causing fears that the scene will collapse under their weight before the order is reinstated.
Matthysse for the welterweight World Boxing Association at Axiata Arena on Sunday, the defeat could bring down the curtain on one of the biggest careers in the history of boxing.
Pacquiao had to call on his friends, family and even Freddie Roach, his Hall of Fame coach. He was replaced by Australian Jeff Horn, a long-time friend of Pacquiao and by fellow traveler, Buboy Fernandez, and another defeat was to see the veteran "National Fist" hang up his gloves for good
. ] But the win for Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) would see him become a welterweight world champion five times and extend his legendary status and his life in the ring beyond his 40th birthday in December.
Pacquiao is going for his sixtieth win since he turned pro in 1995, but despite 38 of his first 47 fights by knockout, he has not stopped an opponent in nine years.
Matthysse, Knock-Out specialist, finished 36 of his 39 wins and took the vaca The WBA belt after stopping the eighth round of Thailand Teerachai Sithmorseng in January. But the last time he faced an opponent of the caliber of Pacquiao he was eliminated in the 10th round by Ukrainian world champion Viktor Postol in 2015.
Matthysse suffered a fracture of the 39, left orbit after being beaten by Postol. of boxing for 19 months and this is only his third fight since.
A strong undercard features three world title fights. The World Boxing Association's middleweight featherweight belt is up for grabs when Mexico's Edivaldo Ortega (26-1-1, 16 KO's) faces undefeated Filipino prospect Jhack Tepora (21-0, 16 KOs). Moruti "Baby Face" Mthalane (35-2, 24 KO's) defends his Flyweight title from the International Boxing Federation against the undefeated Pakistani Muhammad Waseem (8-0, 6 KOs).
Carlos Canizares of Venezuela (20-0-1, 16 KOs) puts his lightweight flyweight title WBA and his undefeated 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. The last time the biggest boxing event took place in Malaysia was around 43 years ago, when legendary boxer Muhammad Ali beat Joe Bugner at the Merdeka stadium in 1975. – AFP
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