MANILA, Philippines – Just like other fighters before him, WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse will try to take a page out of Juan Manuel Marquez's book when he defends his title against Manny Pacquiao on July 15.
No other fighter has soundly defeated Pacquiao in his heyday besides Marquez, his Mexican archrival with whom he has produced an epic, four-fight rivalry.
After three hotly contested fights, it was Marquez who had the last laugh when he knocked Pacquiao out cold with a perfectly timed overhand right in the sixth round of their fourth and final meeting in 2012.
Now, Matthysse will try to emulate Marquez’s success against Pacquiao, with the Argentine’s trainer Joel Diaz pointing out that defeating the Filipino icon is all about timing.
"(Juan Manuel) Marquez was not stronger, but he had timing and a fight plan where he had to find Pacquiao's timing. We know Pacquiao is fast and throws a lot, but if you measure the timing, if you wait for the right opportunity, then you can connect with the right punch," Matthysse’s cornerman Joel Diaz recently told ESPN Desportes.
Diaz believes that with Matthysse’s punching power — his fighter has knocked out 36 of the 39 opponents he defeated — the defending champion has an even better chance of stopping Pacquiao.
"Do I think Matthysse can knock Pacquiao out? I believe he can, because Lucas hits hard and in the gym he shows a heavy hand when he's sparring, and with gloves that are eight ounces and without a headgear — there is a good possibility of a knockout," added Diaz, who continues to hone Matthysse in their training base in Indio, California.
Diaz is the same man who trained Timothy Bradley during the retired boxer’s first two bouts with Pacquiao, enabling the cornerman to familiarize himself with the fighting senator.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is likewise in the thick of preparation in General Santos City, looking eager to bounce back from a setback to Jeff Horn last year. When he finally steps on the ring to face Matthysse, he will be coming off a one-year hiatus.
Father Time is obviously catching up with the 39-year Pacquiao, and Diaz is confident that Pacquiao is ripe for Matthysse.
"One thing is certain, is that Pacquiao is no longer the same fighter that he was five years ago, and he no longer has the same body or reflexes. He is almost 40 years old, but we cannot underestimate him," he said.