Pacquiao, Matthysse brim with confidence ahead of clash

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Manny Pacquiao and Lucas Matthysse formally kicked off their fight week by gracing a grand arrival ceremony at the Le Meridien Hotel here Tuesday.

It is the same posh hotel where Pacquiao and Matthysse are billeted, and whose lobby served as the entry point for both fighters’ attempt to capture Malaysian consciousness.

Matthysse, the defending WBA welterweight champion, was first to emerge, flashing a smile to the sizable crowd that had gathered to witness this rare event in a country where boxing languishes in the cellars in terms of popularity.

Local cultural dancers and some luminaries added flare to the affair, which attracted a decent amount of attention from Malaysian and Filipino media.

Five days from now, the 35-year-old Argentinean will put his title on the line against Pacquiao at the 15,000-seat Axiata Arena — a fight being billed as the biggest the country will host since Muhammad Ali’s bout with Joe Bugner in 1975.

For Matthysse, failure is not an option, and he vowed to keep the title he won from an eight-round TKO win over Thailand’s Tewa Kiram last January.

“I feel 100 percent sure that I will succeed in this fight. I trained very hard to defend my title in Malaysia,” the pride of Chubut, Argentina said in a press dispatch, so far the only source of quotes from him as his camp said the boxer won’t talk to the media until the final presser Thursday.

After his red carpet appearance, Matthysse headed to a makeshift gym within the hotel complex, where he had been training behind closed doors since arriving here as early as last Thursday to acclimatize.

“I’ve already gotten used to the weather and time here. I’m in great condition, and I promise a great performance to the entire world,” he added.

Pacquiao, for his part, emerged a few minutes after Matthysse made his entrance, exchanging pleasantries with some luminaries that included Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Cabayan Jose.

On Sunday, Pacquiao will end a one-year hiatus and try to erase the bitter memory of a frustrating defeat to Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane.

As usual, he promised to give fans their money’s worth.

“We are locked and loaded. I am more than ready and excited to show Malaysian fight fans the fruits of hard training and preparation,” said Pacquiao.