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DPA
Manila
Philippine icon Senator Manny Pacquiao said on Wednesday he aims~to prove that his time in boxing is not yet over when he takes on Argentinian champion Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia in July.
Pacquiao, a 39-year-old eight-division world champion, will challenge Matthysse's World Boxing Association welterweight title in the July 15 bout in Kuala Lumpur.
"My time is not done yet, that's what I'm trying to prove," he told a pre-fight press conference in Manila."Manny Pacquiao is not done yet in boxing ... I will do my best to win convincingly.
"If I could have the chance to finish it right away, I'll finish it," he added.
Pacquiao's last knockout win was in 2009 against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title.
Matthysse, who scored a knockout victory against Thailand's number one boxer Tewa Kiram in January, vowed to do his best to defend~his title in the"dream" fight with Pacquiao.
"It's a great opportunity for me to fight Manny Pacquiao. It's a dream come true," he said."It's an honourr because he's a legendary fighter. It's the first time defending my world title which was very difficult for me to attain."
"I'll die for the title if I have to," he added."I'm going to defend this title to the death."
Matthysse, 35, said he was confident he would be able to retain the title because Pacquiao is"not the same fighter anymore" since he was knocked out by Mexican fighter Juan Miguel Marquez in 2012.
"He's not in his prime anymore," he noted."He's still very good, but not at the same level."
Amid reports that Pacquiao has sacked Freddie Roach as his coach, the senator said he has not yet made his decision who will train him for the fight with Matthysse.
"Freddie and I are like family," he said."Assuming I made the decision and chose Buboy Fernandez for this fight, I'm still not closing the door on Freddie. We just want to experience what it will be like."
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19/04/2018
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