KUALA LUMPUR: Manny Pacquiao has called on Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement for a rematch, saying “let’s do a second one” after powering to his first KO win in nine years. The fighting Philippines senator known as “Pac-Man” took on the dangerous Argentine WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday knowing a defeat could have lowered the curtain on one of the greatest careers in boxing history.
Instead he opened a glorious new act in a 23-year story that has seen him become the only man to move up through eight weight divisions and win world titles in all of them. Despite racing towards his 40th birthday, Pacquiao looks like he is back to being the devastatingly quick and ruthless power-puncher who earned the sobriquet of world’s “best pound-for-pound fighter” between 2000 and 2010.
In 2015 Pacquiao, with a win-loss-draw record of 60-7-2, lost a unanimous points decision to the unbeaten Mayweather (50-0) in one of the richest fights in boxing history, but then needed surgery on a damaged shoulder that he claimed had restricted his movement and punching power. – AFP
