Although Manny Pacquiao has a WBA welterweight title fight against Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia, there are rumors of financial issues potentially delaying the fight.
Rumors have surfaced that there are problems between Pacquiao and the party responsible for financing Pacquiao's return to the ring in Malaysia. Those rumors seemed to insinuate that there is a possibility the fight could be delayed. But according to a press release, Pacquiao has not only come out and denied those rumors, calling them "malicious and untrue," but even went out of his way to thank the people who had spread those rumors because it gave the fight some free, extra publicity.
?Ironically, I would like to thank these rumor-mongers for the extra publicity that they are contributing to make this fight such a huge success. I am turning this negative news into something good because no news is actually bad news,? Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao will be fighting Matthysse for Matthysse's WBA "regular" title at 147 pounds on July 15 in Malaysia. Pacquiao has not fought since losing the WBO welterweight title against Jeff Horn last summer. At nearly 40 years old, Pacquiao said in an interview with AFP he's viewing this fight as a basis for whether or not he should think about retiring. Pacquiao briefly retired in 2016 before coming back at the end of the year and beating Jessie Vargas to win the WBO title.
Matthysse will make his first world title defense since winning the vacant secondary title by knocking out Tewa Kiram back in January.