SOME of Cebu’s boxing personalities are confident that Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao is walking away with a win today in his World Boxing Association (WBA) title fight against defending champion Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur.
“Manny by decision,” Pacquiao’s close friend and two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa told SunStar Cebu.
Peñalosa believes that the 39-year-old Pacquiao will beat Matthysse nine rounds to three.
“He’ll have a hard time catching Manny. He has power but he’s a little bit slow,” said Peñalosa.
World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 3 ranked bantamweight Marjohn Yap and former World Boxing Organization(WBO) light flyweight king Milan Melindo believe that Pacquiao will stop Matthysse.
“Manny will knock him out in eight or nine rounds,” said Yap, who’s slated to face Japanese prospect Takuma Inoue in August.
“Pacquiao will win. Matthysse will get knocked out in six rounds. It’s not about age, it’s about discipline. It’s how you handle distractions, your faith in God, belief in yourself and your ability,” said Melindo.
Melindo, however, expects that this will be an exciting fight.
“I feel that this will be a good fight. Because he goes in. Because his body is for a brawler. It will be good to watch,” he said.
ALA Promotions head coach Edito Villamor, in the meantime, is confident that it’ll go by knockout or decision.
“Pacquiao by knockout or decision,” he said. “He’ll knock him out in any rounds. When it goes the distance it will be one-sided. I saw Matthysse’s fight against Kiram. I saw that his style fits Pacquiao’s,” he said.
Pacquiao is 59-7-2 with 38 knockouts, while the 36-year-old Matthysse is 39-4 with 36 knockouts. (EKA)