Pacquiao knocks out Matthysse to regain WBA title

WITH the 60th victory of a stellar career, Manny Pacquiao regained the WBA world welterweight title with a TKO of Argentinian Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur today.
At the ripe old age of 39 and without long-time trainer Freddie Roach, Pacquiao showed no signs of slowing down to take his record to an impressive 60-7-2 (39KO). Roach had been dropped in the run-up to the Malaysian fight and replaced with former assistant coach and friend Buboy Fernandez.
But the legendary corner man was not missed as Pacquiao knocked down Matthysse three times en route to his TKO victory.
It was Pacquiao's first win by stoppage since he stopped Miguel Cotto in the 12th round in 2009.
With Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte among the spectators, the biggest boxing match in the country since the 1975 heavyweight clash between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner lived up to expectations.
Entering the ring with Rocky Balboa's Eye of the Tiger theme song, Pacquiao brought down the roof as the clear crowd favourite.
Both fighters started the fight on the front foot, being quickly into their stride with short jabs, and the flurry of action soon made fans realise that this would not be a repeat of the 'running around the ring' scenario when Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao's first knockdown came about 30 seconds into the third round when he tagged Matthysse with a right jab, followed by a left uppercut.
Pacquiao followed it up in the fifth round when one of his punches shook Matthysse to the point he had to take a knee at the end of the round.
But the end didn't come until late into the seventh round. Just like with the first knockdown, Pacquiao's left uppercut hit Matthysse on the button, knocking him down once more.
Once Matthysse spat out his mouthpiece midway through the 10-count, referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight.
"Lucas is a great fighter. And the only way to beat him was to stay calm," said Pacquiao after the fight.
"In the third round Buboy told me the fight was mine, and I just had to wait for my chance without rushing it.
"And with his tactic, I am going back with the title today."
With age catching up, there were questions surrounding a potential retirement for Pacquiao, but it was shrugged off by the Mahabuay hero.
"Do I look 39? I train and fight like a 27 year old," he joked with the reporters.
"Like I said, I am not gone, I am still here."
Whatever said, Pacquiao is back on top of the boxing world and with this WBA title around his waist, there are still a few fights left in the soon-to-be 40-year-old champion.