Manny Pacquiao and Lucas Matthysse pose during their weigh-in
After over a year away from the ring, Manny Pacquiao makes his anticipated return to boxing tonight.
Pacquiao, 39, takes on WBA regular welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse, 35, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pacquiao last stepped into the ring last July in Brisbane, Australia. In a controversial decision, 29-year old Jeff Horn defeated Pacuiao via unanimous decision for the WBO welterweight title — a decision the World Boxing Organization later reviewed but did not overturn. As a result, the current Philippines Senator stepped away from the ring.
Matthyesse defeated Tewa Kiram via eighth-round knockout this past January to win the vacant welterweight title.
The rest of the card for Saturday includes:
Jhack Tepora vs. Edivaldo Ortega, 12 rounds for vacant WBA interim featherweight title
Carlos Canizales vs. Bin Lu, 12 rounds for WBA “regular” junior flyweight title
And on the undercard:
Juan Miguel Elorde vs. Ratchanon Sawangsoda; six rounds, junior lightweight
Theena Thayalan vs. Siddharth Varma; six rounds, welterweights
Moruti Mthalane vs. Muhammad Waseem; 12 rounds for vacant IBF flyweight title
Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) is 59-7-2 (38 KO); he is one of three boxers to win a share of the welterweight title on three occasions (Jack Britton, Emile Griffith) according to @CompuBox #PacMatthysse
The Main Card begins tonight at 9 ET on ESPN+
Pacquiao vs. Matthysse will air live on ESPN+ in English and in Spanish in the United States at 9 p.m. ET.
Here is how to watch online:
ESPN+
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