Urgent call: Make it Pacquiao vs. Matthysse
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 14 Feb 2018
VETERAN promoter Bob Arum made a promise to provide something unique (and nice) for Manny Pacquiao?s next fight. After a long wait, it turned out the unusual opponent Arum meant was former world title-holder Mike Alvarado.
Top Rank Inc. has announced that the Pacquiao-Alvarado bout would be featured side-by-side with the WBO welterweight title defense in April of Australian Jeff Horn against the unbeaten Terence Crawford of Omaha.
Alvarado is a banged-up warrior who got seriously crushed in a losing title defense against Ruslan Provodnikov in October 2013. He was stopped in ten rounds.
**
As noted by Philboxing.com founder and chief editor Dong Secuya, Alvarado next lost by decision to Juan Manuel Marquez in May 2014, before being stopped by Brandon Rios in three rounds in January 2015.
?It was in the last Rios loss that he seemed out of it,? Dong Secuya said.
It?s a bit puzzling, but if there?s anything unique Arum has found, it could be Alvarado?s four-straight wins (against unranked foes) since his return to the ring.
**
For the record, Pacquiao has not bothered to comment directly on Arum?s choice of Alvarado.
Yesterday, veteran sportswriter Nick Giongco reported Pacquiao has bared his choice of a next opponent.
?I want Matthyssee,? Giongo said Pacquiao told him during a break in the Senate Tuesday afternoon.
Giongco said Pacquiao believes his own aggressive style and Matthysse?s penchant for toe-to-toe combat would make for a very compelling bout.
**
Matthysse took the WBA 147-lb belt with a stoppage of Thailand?s Tewa Kiram last month. His record is 39 wins, 4 losses, one draw with 36 KOs.
?Matthysse is the fight that I like, a fight fans would also like to see,? Giongco quoted Pacquiao as declaring.
Trainer Freddie Roach has himself said he would love Pacquiao to face Matthysee next.
Meanwhile, Bob Arum has declared Pacquiao vs Matthysse an impossibility.
?I see Manny has talked about fighting Matthysse,? Arum told Boxingscene. ?But that?s not gonna happen.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Boxers swing into action
By Joaquin Henson, Fri, 05 Sep 2025UBO Youth World Title Showdown: Aliya Soomro Fights Monika Singh in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 05 Sep 2025Battle of the Hawk Season 1 Finals on September 9; offers P600,000 to the winning team while P300,000 to the losing finalist team
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 05 Sep 2025Press Conference Notes: Oscar Valdez Motivated for Saturday's Homecoming Against Ricky Medina
Fri, 05 Sep 2025SUNDERLAND PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AS McCORMACK EYES BIG WIN
Fri, 05 Sep 2025THE ROAD TO REYES CUP AND MOSCONI CUP | 2025 PLAYERS QUALIFICATION
Fri, 05 Sep 2025Statement from World Boxing following reports in the French media about French female boxers at the World Boxing Championships
Fri, 05 Sep 2025GenSan Is Our Version of Los Mochis - The City of Boxing Champions
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 05 Sep 2025Iglesias vs. Shishkin: Unsigned Hype
By Chris Carlson, Fri, 05 Sep 2025EDDIE HEARN PROVIDES AJ UPDATE AS PAT McCORMACK NAMES THE BIG FIGHT HE WANTS NEXT IN NEW MATCHROOM BOXING PODCAST
Fri, 05 Sep 2025Team USA’s Path to Gold Set at 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool
Fri, 05 Sep 2025DACS signs up with Amesco Drug
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 05 Sep 2025India’s Monika Singh Battles Aliya Soomro of Pakistan for UBO Youth World 108 in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 04 Sep 2025TEENAGE KICKS: WONDERKIDS LEO ATANG, ADAM MACA AND TIAH-MAI AYTON ARE READY TO LIGHT UP SUNDERLAND THIS SATURDAY
Thu, 04 Sep 2025150 to join Rotary Heritage Aquathlon
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 04 Sep 2025