Win by KO Matthysse’s only hope

MANILA, Philippines — Lucas Matthysse’s trainer had seen enough of Manny Pacquiao he knows what to expect in the upcoming WBA welterweight title bout in Kuala Lumpur.

“I’ve seen Manny Pacquiao 10 years ago, five years ago and two months ago,” said Joel Diaz as the fight moved less than a month away.

Diaz worked the corner of Timothy Bradley in the American’s first two fights against Pacquiao, and that gives him the needed info.

“But he’s not the young Manny Pacquiao that had the power. When was the last time he knocked someone out? It’s been a while,” Diaz told KO Artist Sport.

Bradley won the first fight in 2012 via a very controversial decision then lost the second and third against Pacquiao in 2014 and 2016.

Diaz has spotted the difference.

“The only difference is that Bradley was very elusive, very fast, very athletic but he didn’t have the knockout power punch to knock out Pacquiao,” he said.

Matthysse, the reigning WBA champion, has won 39 of 44 fights, 36 of them by way of knockout. He vowed to add Pacquiao to his list of victims.

Diaz said the only way for them to win the fight on July 15 is to knock Pacquiao out, and that going the distance with the Filipino superstar is not the way.

“So we’re going for all the marbles. We have to go for the knockout,” said Diaz.

Or get knocked out trying.