MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao will have to squeeze his best when he climbs the ring in Kuala Lumpur in July.
“If he wants to fight (Vasyl) Lomachenko, he better win this fight,” American promoter Bob Arum told The STAR the other day.
On July 15, the fighting senator seeks yet another world title against WBA welterweight champ Lucas Matthysse of Argentina.
Arum, whose role in this fight is limited to the broadcast rights, sees a tough fight for Pacquiao.
“He didn’t look so great in his last few fights and he lost the last one,” said Arum.
Pacquiao, once the face of boxing, has actually lost four of his last nine fights, kicked off by a controversial loss to Tim Bradley and a vicious knockout in the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012.
He had victories over Brandon Rios, Chris Algieri, a couple over Bradley, and one over Jessie Vargas since. But added to his defeats were those dealt by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015, and Jeff Horn last July in Brisbane.
Many felt Pacquiao beat Horn in that fight, and for this reason, the former was not desperate in seeking a rematch.
If Pacquiao is successful in July, he could land a fight with Lomachenko, the Ukrainian dynamite, late this year.
But against Matthysse, 35, an aggressive fighter with 39 wins and four defeats, and 36 knockouts, Pacquiao is facing danger.
It’s an important fight for Pacquiao – if he wants to move on.
“Well, they’re all important now,” Arum told The STAR.
“This will be a competitive fight,” he said.