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More hype for Manny-Matthysse fight, please

Lucas Matthysse

Lucas Matthysse arrived in Kuala Lumpur today – providing fans with a sense of reassurance his fight against Manny Pacquiao will go on.

Matthysse is “happy being in Malaysia” but his presence has not deterred observers from wondering why there have been little promotional activities for the fight in 10 days’ time.

Axiata Arena will host the two fighters but there has not been much buzz about the event since the April 15 press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

That led to many wondering if the showdown would be called off.

It was said the fighters were too busy training to do media activities the past two weeks but earlier this week Golden Boy Promotions told ESPN’s Dan Rafael the money due in an escrow account – to be paid after the fight – had finally been paid in full.

The hype is nowhere near the 1975 boxing fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner at Merdeka Stadium.

There are those who wonder why Kuala Lumpur was named as the destination for the fight.

But it looks like those living outside Malaysia will have a memorable time in Bukit Jalil as the bulk of ticket sales have been snapped up by them.

The cheapest ticket is RM488 while the most expensive is RM19,888 – above what your average Malaysian can afford. But boxing and sports, in general, these days are expensive.

Fans on a budget can enjoy the fight live on Astro – and even possibly on RTM. It is understood the bout would cost RTM some US$300,000.

Two Malaysians – Theena Thayalan and Aiman Abu Bakar – will feature in the undercard before the main event.

One thing for sure, July 15 will be an exciting date for sports fans – the much-anticipated bout in the morning followed by the Fifa World Cup final at night.