FILE – Manny Pacquiao of the Phillipines waves at his supporters after he lost against Jeff Horn of Australia, not shown, during their WBO World Welterweight title fight in Brisbane, Australia, Sun. 2 July, 2017. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Manny Pacquiao’s much-awaited ring return against WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse is finally set.
Pacquiao on Tuesday announced that his showdown with the Argentinian Matthysse will be on July 15 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It’s on! Can’t wait to challenge Lucas Matthysse for another world title on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia – July 14 US time #Pacmanisback
— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) April 3, 2018
In his last fight, the 39-year-old Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) yielded the WBO title last July in Brisbane, Australia.
Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs), meanwhile, is coming off an eighth-round stoppage of Tewa Kiram of Thailand last January.
Golden Boy Promotions chief Oscar De La Hoya, who handles Matthysse, also made the fight official on his Twitter account.
Signed, sealed, and delivered: Proud to officially announce that WBA welterweight world champion @MatthysseLucas will put his title on the line against @mannypacquiao in Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia on Saturday night July 14 (US time).
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) April 2, 2018