Pacquiao vs Matthysse Fight: Prediction and analysis

MANILA, Philippines – It’s the time of the year again for Filipinos to unite and take some rest and recreation to support our very own, Sen. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. The 39-year old southpaw and 8-division Champion will slug it out against the Argentine Champion Lucas Matthysse for the WBA Welterweight title on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pacquiao vs Matthysse Fight: Prediction and analysis
Pacquiao vs. Matthysse: Speed vs. Power. Photo Credit: ABS-CBN News

Pacquiao coming from a very sorry lost against Aussie Jeff Horn in 2017 announced that he’s not done fighting yet and has few more years left in his tank. He admitted however, that the fight result against Matthysse can bring him to contemplation.

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Noticeably, the fighting senator’s performance is slowly declining. His punching power to be specific is diminishing. It was in 2009 or nine years ago when he won his last knockout fight against Miguel Cotto. But after that, he was only winning via points and decisions.

Despite the power decline, Pacman has already cemented his legacy in the sports world and has nothing to prove himself and the world with his 59-7-2 with 38 KO and numerous titles.

Lucas Matthysse on the other hand, looks like a well-oiled machine and has put his 2 previous opponents into sleep. The Argentine is well-known as the best counter puncher against southpaws in the boxing industry with his heavy right hand.

“La Maquina” as the boxing pundits call him, Matthysse banners an impressive resume with 39-4-0 record with 36 KOs which he owes him his right hand for his incredible feat.

His power punching abilities however, could be a blessing and a curse when he squares off with Pacquiao in the ring. Analysts label him as a slow boxer and that could be a big problem for Lucas especially when Pacquiao, a speedy fighter gets in front of him.

There’s always a saying in all sports that “speed kills”. That’s the only advantage that Manny Pacquiao has in this fight. In contradiction, Lucas Matthysse’s bread and butter for this bout will be his hard-hitting right hand.

Clearly, Pacman has lost his killer instincts and it’s inevitable for all pugilists as they age. Even Mike Tyson, who was once the baddest and meanest boxer in the history lost his punching sting when he passed his prime. Same with Manny Pacquiao, his near his 40’s and no longer in his prime.

Aside from his punching prowess, experts are also worried of the sudden change in Pacquiao’s corner. After 16 years of working together, this will be the first time that Pacman will be fighting without his great mentor Freddie Roach. Manny will be relying heavily on his long-time buddy and Roach’s assistant, Buboy Fernandez.

Coach Buboy bared that he has repackaged his new talent Pacquiao and claimed that the fighting senator is in his best shape ever and 100% ready to rumble with Matthysse.

With this abrupt change in his coaching staff, fans might see a new Pacman inside the ring. Different in the sense of fighting style. People are used to seeing Pacquiao throw punches and turns quickly to his opponent's blindside for the past years when he was with Roach. But come fight proper, a new Manny Pacquiao will be revealed in terms of moves under Coach Fernandez.

Here’s the prediction: Manny Pacquiao will win the fight by an inch over Lucas Matthysse solely because of his blinding speed. But “La Maquina” can’t be counted out. If he has the chance to win the fight, which is slim however, that will be coming from a knockout.


The Pacquiao-Matthysse fight will be available via pay-per-view on Sky Cable and Cignal and will also be aired in delayed telecast on ABS-CBN Channel 2, ABS-CBN Sports & Action, GMA 7 and TV5.

The Summit Express will also give a live updates and live streaming links.

— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express



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