Man vs Machine

Philippine senator and boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, left, and Argentine World Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse pose after weigh-ins in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, July 14, 2018. Matthysse and Pacquiao are scheduled to fight on July 15, for the World Boxing Association welterweight title in Malaysia. (AP Photo/Yam G-Jun)

KUALA LUMPUR—For so long, Manny Pacquiao has been The Man in boxing circles. And nowadays, he may be very well compared to an ageing rockstar on a greatest hits tour.

Lucas Matthysse, however, refuses to be a mere spliced footage in the Pacman’s career highlight reel.

On the tailend of a long, glorious boxing career marked by fame, big money and extravagance, Pacquiao has reached  a point where he has to implore boxing fans to watch his fight and make pleading guarantees that there will be a lot of thrill and excitement.

“I hope all Filipinos will watch the fight,” said the 39-year-old Pacquiao on the eve of his WBA welterweight title fight against champion Lucas Matthysse, a fringe boxer known for his strong punches and propensity to fight moving forward.

Matthysse’s attack mentality fits perfectly into Pacquiao’s fighting style, but the Argentine is out to prove he should be breathing the same rarefied air as his opponent and other legends of the sport.

“We are out for glory,” has been the common refrain of the camp of Matthysse, who goes by the moniker “Machine” because of his relentlessness.

Fight time is 11 a.m. on Sunday at Axiata Arena inside the sprawling Bukit Jalil Sports Complex here before a crowd that is expected to include Philippine President Duterte.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was also invited by Pacquiao to watch the bout and his attendance could very well be a first in all of boxing.

Mr. Duterte’s expected presence could mark the first time a sitting Philippine President watched a boxing fight since former President Ferdinand Marcos witnessed the Jan. 16, 1982 slugfest between Filipino legend Rolando Navarette and Korean Choi Chung-il.

Malaysia, meanwhile, is all prepared to host its the biggest fight since Muhammad Ali fought Joe Bugner in 1975—albeit under the shadow of the World Cup finale, an event that is expected to preoccupy the football-mad country at least early on in the day.

Pacquiao made the weight Saturday at 146 pounds, while Matthysse tipped the scales at 146.7 lb during the weigh-in at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibit Center.

“I am hungry to fight after one year of rest; I trained very hard and pushed myself to the limit,” said Pacquiao. “Kung wala na ang desire siguro hindi ko na papahirapan ang sarili ko (I would not have punished myself in training if there’s no desire left in me).”

He has lost two of his previous four fights, including a shocking unanimous decision defeat last year at the hands of Australian Jeff Horn, who didn’t hesitate to use his height and heft to rough Pacquiao up.

Pacquiao said he picked Matthysse as his opponent because “he brings action to the ring,” which only means plenty of opportunities for him to strike and, possibly, score a victory convincing enough for him to lay down a few more fights down the road before retiring.

The last time Pacquiao scored a knockout was almost a decade ago when he defeated the stocky raging bull Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in 2009.

He he has had plenty of strong wins over the years after that—including a sound beating of Timothy Bradley (2016) and Chris Algieri (2014).

Three years back, Pacquiao shared the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr., in the mother of all megafights that reportedly earned both fighters a combined $300 million in purse.

Oscar De La Hoya, here as Matthysse’s promotional manager, predicted that it could either be Pacquiao by decision, or Matthysse by knockout—noting that the distractions surrounding Pacquiao could be telling.

“Let’s see after this fight if Manny Pacquiao can still continue to fight or just focus as a public servant,” said Pacquiao, who is on his first term as senator.