Pacquiao arrives in Malaysia ahead of title fight vs Matthysse

FILE – Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao (centre L) poses for photographs with Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse (centre R) after a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on April 20, 2018, ahead of their world welterweight boxing championship bout in July. / AFP PHOTO / Mohd RASFAN

KUALA LUMPUR — Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao arrived here in the Malaysian capital Monday night six days before his welterweight title fight against Lucas Matthysse.

Pacquiao landed in Kuala Lumpur on board a chartered flight from General Santos City, where he held his training camp with his longtime friend Buboy Fernandez as chief trainer.

The 39-year-old Pacquiao hasn’t fought since dropping a highly-disputed decision to Jeff Horn a year ago in Brisbane, Australia where he yielded his WBO belt.

Determined to silence his critics, Pacquiao aims to reclaim his championship status against the Matthysse, whose WBA crown is on the line.

Matthysse arrived in Malaysia’s largest city way ahead of Pacquiao as he hopes to acclimatize himself with the humid weather.

The hard-hitting Argentine eyes to become who Pacquiao was nearly a decade ago when the eight-division champion ripped through boxing one division and one title at a time.