Senator/boxer Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will be trading in his politician suit for boxing gloves and trunks once again in June, as the former boxing champion has confirmed rumors that he will be fighting again.
During an ambush interview with Philippines sports journalists, Pacquiao — with a record of 59-7-2 (wins, losses, draw) and 38 knockouts (KOs) — has announced that his fight will take place on June 24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia possibly with World Boxing Association (WBA) (regular) welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse with a record of 39-4, 38 KOs. Matthysse is relatively a new champion compared to Pacquiao and has recently just earned his title back in January.
Still, while the fight is sure to take place, Pacquiao's opponent is still not definite and could either be Matthysse or American former WBA super-welterweight and World Boxing Council welterweight champ Danny Garcia with (34-1, 20 KOs) who only just experienced his first loss last year. Both are strong contenders against the 39-year-old boxer and could definitely pose trouble for the aging athlete.
Initially, Pacquiao was aiming for a May fight with either of the two but had to reschedule due to his Senate duties in the Philippines. Despite being busy as a Philippine politician, Pacquiao is confident that he will still have enough time to train and be ready for his upcoming June match. He also explained that June was his break time from the Senate.
It can be recalled that Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight champion title to his previous fight against Jeff Horn last year, making Horn the new welterweight champion holder. This also prompted expert advice for Pacquiao to retire for good since he is nearly past his prime as a boxer and has also not scored a knockout in the past eight years of his boxing career.
Still, Pacquiao remains determined to continue his boxing career and perhaps even regain a boxing championship title before retiring. Meanwhile, despite Pacquiao's big announcement, his boxing promoter Bob Arum says no deals have been finalized yet, meaning the fight may not be happening for now, as things will still depend on all the parties involved.
