Matthysse will have ‘no respect’ as he aims to beat Pacquiao

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Argentinian Lucas Matthysse will have “no respect” as he seeks to knock out Manny Pacquiao and defend his World Boxing Association welterweight title in Sunday’s showdown that could cap an illustrious career for the Filipino sports icon.

Both fighters were comfortably below the 147-pound limit when they stepped on a scale Saturday ahead of their match, dubbed the “Fight of Champions.”

An 11-time champion across eight divisions, Pacquiao weighed in at a trim 146 pounds while Matthysse tipped the scales at 146.7 pounds.

“I know Manny Pacquiao brings an intense energy in a fight, so we are ready for that. All we need to do is just to keep composed, make sure that he is ready to catch Manny at the right time and have no respect for Manny,” Matthysse’s trainer, Joel Diaz, told The Associated Press after the weigh-in.

The main advantage for Matthysse, known by his nickname “The Machine” for winning 36 out of his 39 matches by knockout, is his strength and ability to deliver power punches from both hands, Diaz said.

“All I can say is this…it’s not going to be an easy fight for Manny Pacquiao. If Lucas lands any punches on Pacquiao, he will hurt him because he hits real hard,” Diaz added.

“Lucas Matthysse is stepping up to the level of opposition. He’s fighting against a legend and he’s in the best shape of his life. Everything is at stake for him. He is defending his title and secondly, he knows by beating Manny Pacquiao, it will be in the history books.”

“Pacman” Pacquiao, who turns 40 in December, returns to the ring a year after his shock decision loss to Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane.

Pacquiao, 39, has won 59 times, including 38 by knockout, and lost seven times (three by knockout) along with two draws.

Pacquiao was greeted by hundreds of excited Filipino fans as he flexed on stage Saturday after the weigh-in. He smiled and appeared relaxed in contrast to a grim-looking Matthysse as they posed for the cameras.

Pacquiao didn’t speak after the weigh-in but the words on his long sleeve t-shirt reflected his determination to seek a 60th victory: “Fight On.”


It will be the first time since 2001 that Pacquiao is fighting without longtime trainer Freddie Roach, who was dropped in the run-up to the Malaysian fight and replaced with former assistant coach and friend Buboy Fernandez.

A once impoverished rural boy who turned into one of the world’s wealthiest sportsman and now a Filipino senator, Pacquiao’s rags-to-riches story has inspired many in his country. His biggest supporter on Sunday will be President Rodrigo Duterte, who will arrive in Malaysia to watch the match ahead of an official visit.

Pacquiao is “110 percent fit” physically and mentally, his conditioning coach Justin Fortune told the AP after the weigh-in. The Australian said age isn’t a barrier for Pacquiao and that he has been able to juggle the sport along his political duties and other multiple interests.

“He’s in great condition. For 16 years, Pacquiao has been at the top, No. 1 of world champion. His longevity at this level in this sport is unprecedented,” Fortune said.

“Every fight for Pacquiao is the same way: very, very important fight. We take every fight seriously. Matthysse is a dangerous guy as was with every other fighter that Manny fought.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Malaysia transgenders win anti-cross dressing law challenge

Putrajaya, Malaysia – Three Malaysian transgender women on Friday won their landmark bid to overturn an Islamic anti-cross dressing law in the conservative Muslim-majority nation.

A three-judge appeals court panel ruled that the provision of southern Negri Sembilan state that bars Muslim men from dressing as women was unconstitutional, saying it "deprives the appellants of the right to live with dignity."

"It has the effect of denying the appellants and other sufferers of GID (gender identity disorder) to move freely in public places... This is degrading oppressive and inhumane," judge Hishamudin Yunus said.

The verdict overturns a 2012 lower court ruling, which had dismissed the challenge by the three appellants – Muslims who were born male but identify as women – over their arrest four years ago under the law.

Malaysia has a double track court system with state Islamic laws governing civil matters for Muslims, who account for 60 percent of the country's 30 million people.

Under state Islamic laws, men dressing or acting as women is punishable by up to three years in jail. Some Malaysian states also outlaw cross-dressing by women.

Aston Paiva, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said the ruling could be used to challenge any arrest of transgender people throughout Malaysia. 

"It's quite historic... This will be a precedent... This court binds all other high courts," Paiva said.

A Negri Sembilan state legal advisor declined comment on whether his side would seek to appeal the verdict to a higher court.

The three plaintiffs were not in court.

The case is the first attempt to overturn the prohibition on cross-dressing in the Southeast Asian nation, where homosexuality and transgender lifestyles remain taboo.

Human Rights Watch in September called on the government to repeal all laws that criminalize transgender lifestyles after the US-based group found that they face systematic and constant repression, harassment, mistreatment, social ostracism and "risk arrest every day."

Human Rights Watch said in a report that transgender people in Malaysia face worsening persecution due to the steady rise of conservative Islamic attitudes.

The abuses include arrest, physical and sexual assault and extortion by authorities, public shaming by forcing transgender women to strip off their clothing in public, and barriers to healthcare, employment and education.

Authorities face no accountability in their treatment of transgender people, the report said. – Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Malaysia's iMoney sees more Pinoys doing financial search online

Expectations of more Filipinos using the internet in search of financial products as the economy grows prompted Kuala Lumpur-based Intelligent Money Sdn. Bhd. (iMoney) to unveil a Philippine counterpart online.

“We have seen penetration rates of about 7.5 percent [for financial related queries] in more developed countries of South East Asia, which leads to the conclusion that the internet search volume will increase in the Philippines over time,” Ching Wei Lee, iMoney chief executive officer, said in an e-mail interview Thursday. 

“It is time to put focus on finances and what better time to introduce it other than when the economy is on an upswing,” he added.

Financial related queries in the Philippines vary depending on the product, Ching noted.

“A good example would be the search per month for credit cards which totaled 487,500 searches equivalent to 1.43 percent of the Filipino Internet population,” he said.

Providing unbiased comparisons among financial institutions products would help consumers choose the best goods and prompt corporations to improve service, Ching said.

“Banks are understandably partial to their own products. The consumer of today needs information that does not side and affiliate with any bank,” he noted, saying iMoney uses earnings from onsite advertising and referral fees to bankroll its free service.

“Traditionally, consumers have often been at the losing end in a typical bank-consumer relationship,” Ching explained.

iMoney Philippines, www.imoney.ph, is a consumer financial portal offering comparison services for credit cards, personal loans, mortgage loans, savings accounts, time deposits and travel insurance offered by major banks and insurance entities of the Philippines.

Intelligent Money runs Malaysia's largest comparison website for financial services and oversees $40 million worth of banking products transacted over its website monthly.

iMoney recently launched a portal for Singapore and Indonesia. — VS, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com