Who’s the more durable fighter?
All indicators point to an abbreviated ending in the WBA welterweight title fight between defending champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina and Manny Pacquiao at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. If the fight won’t go the 12-round distance, who’s likely to emerge the winner? Clearly, durability will be a critical determining factor. It won’t only be the ability to take a punch but also the ability not to get hit.
Matthysse, 35, has scored 36 KOs in 39 wins, a 92 percent KO rate and lost four, two by split decision. Because of his aggressive style, Matthysse often leaves himself open for a counterattack. He’s not known to backtrack so his come-forward approach is tailor-fit for a counterpuncher like Pacquiao.
Since turning pro in 2004, Matthysse has taken only four trips to the canvas. In 2013, he was dropped by Danny Garcia in the 11th round, got up and lost a unanimous 12-round decision. Matthysse suffered a fractured left cheekbone and a broken jaw but never had surgery to repair the damage. He earned acclaim for his courage in finishing the bout on his feet despite the injuries.
A year later, Matthysse took the eightcount in the second and fifth rounds but recovered to drop John Molina, Jr. in the eighth and 10th. Matthysse scored a stoppage at 0:22 of the 11th as referee Pat Russell intervened to save Molina from further punishment. The Argentinian proved his remarkable recuperative powers in surviving two knockdowns to halt Molina.
In 2015, Matthysse took on Viktor Postol for the vacant WBC superlightweight crown at the StubHub Center in Carson City. It was battle of attrition and Matthysse folded up in the late going. Postol landed a hard shot on Matthysse’s left eye and the Argentinian went down on a knee to take the full count after his vision blurred. The knockout loss was his first ever. Once again, Matthysse refused to undergo surgery for the injured eye and took a 19-month rest to let it heal. Since bowing to Postol, Matthysse has bounced back to score two straight knockouts. Last January, Matthysse claimed the vacant WBA welterweight crown on an eighth round disposal of Thailand’s Teerachai Kratingdaeng-Gym. But it wasn’t a walk in the park. Matthysse struggled against the Thai and was behind in one of the three judges scorecards when the end came.
“My style hasn’t changed,” said Matthysse. “I remain aggressive in the ring. I know I have to be at my best to beat Manny.”
Matthysse has been involved in gutwrenching brawls so the wear and tear on his armor must be starting to take effect. Before taking on Postol, Matthysse was in a war against Russian tough guy Ruslan Provodnikov and pulled off a hard-fought victory by a majority decision.
Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Justin Fortune said Matthysse has a weak chin and showed it in losing to Postol. “I don’t think Postol is a heavy puncher with only 12 KOs in 28 wins at that stage in his career,” said Fortune. That’s why the focus in Pacquiao’s sparring was target practice. Fortune said Pacquiao must be accurate in landing the bombs that will put Matthysse away for good.
Pacquiao’s target will be Matthysse’s vulnerable left eye. Against Molina and Teerachai, Matthysse was badly cut around his left eye. Against Garcia, he suffered a fractured left cheekbone and against Postol, a fractured left orbital bone. Pacquiao’s blinding hand and footspeed will create angles for shots to the left eye and if he’s on target, Matthysse could wind up in dire straits.
Pacquiao, 39, has a 64 percent KO rate with 38 KOs in 59 wins. He lost in seven fights and drew twice. Pacquiao has taken counts in fights against Juan Manuel Marquez (twice), Sugar Shane Mosley (a fluke later admitted by referee Kenny Bayless), Marco Antonio Barrera (another fluke called by referee Laurence Cole), Nedal Hussein, Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov, Medgoen 3-K Battery and Rustico Torrecampo.
The most devastating loss in Pacquiao’s career was his knockout defeat to Marquez in their fourth encounter in 2012. Marquez was on the verge of going down when with a second left in the sixth, he connected with a right straight flush on Pacquiao’s jaw. It was reminiscent of Pacquiao’s loss to Rustico Torrecampo in 1996. In both fights, Pacquiao was about to finish off his opponents then got careless in the process. On Sunday, Pacquiao can’t afford to get careless against a dangerous knockout artist like Matthysse.