Matthysse 'relieved' to see Pacquiao’s character

MANILA, Philippines – WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse endured a back-breaking 30-hour journey from his native Argentina to the Philippines, believing the long trip will be well worth it.

It turned out, he was correct.

A day after gracing the first of a two-country promotional engagement for his upcoming title defense against Pacquiao a couple of months from now, Matthysse made sure to fulfill his end of the bargain in terms of further hyping the fight.

With barely enough rest, he and his team joined Pacquiao’s team at a studio in Sucat, Paranaque, to shoot some promotional videos for their July 15 tussle in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

And thanks to the nearly five-hour activity, he got to know Pacquiao up close and personal. The two fighters have been cordial to each other throughout the shoot, with Pacquiao even guiding the non-English-speaking Matthysse through various takes.

There were many light moments, especially when the scenes required the boxers to sport serious faces. Pacquiao would burst into laughter during a staredown, and Matthysse inevitably followed suit.

Matthysse flew in to the country somehow expecting a tense environment. But after personally seeing Pacquiao’s lighter side, he can now heave a sigh of relief.

“I feel so relaxed now that I met him, now that I know him,” the 35-year-old Argentine told Philstar.com through his translator, Golden Boy Promotions public relations head Ramiro Gonzalez.

At Wednesday’s kick-off presser at City of Dreams, Matthysse told reporters he has only seen Pacquiao on television. He couldn’t wait to size up his challenger.

“It's over. Now I know who he (Pacquiao) is, how he acts,” he added.

Asked if fatigue due to the grueling journey in the last 24 hours and the various promotional engagements is finally getting to him, Matthysse instead said he’s having the time of his life.

“This is a very unique, one-of-a kind promotion. I'm enjoying every minute, every hour of it,” said Matthysse, who also has some kind words about the Philippines and its people.

“Very humble, very beautiful people. Ever since I set foot on Philippine soil, it's been great,” he said.

Pleasantries aside, Matthysse’s camp vowed to stick to the mission, which is to make sure the Pacquiao era is over.

“Lucas is gonna knock him out,” Matthysse’s manager Mario Arano told Philstar.com, adding that they’ve long waited for this opportunity.

“Three years ago we want to fight Pacquiao. Everyone knows that this is the fight we've been looking for because we know we can beat Pacquiao.”

Matthysse’s scrutiny of Pacquiao won’t end in the Philippines, as the promotional party is set to fly to Malaysia tonight for another presser there.

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