Boxing career of Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao vs. Sasakul

Pacquiao captured the WBC and lineal flyweight titles (his first major boxing world title) over Chatchai Sasakul by way of knockout in the eighth round.^[26] He defended the titles successfully against Mexican Gabriel Mira via a fourth-round technical knockout. However, Pacquiao lost the lineal title in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat, also known as Medgoen 3K Battery, via a third-round knockout. The bout was held in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Singsurat got Pacquiao on the ropes and landed a flush straight right to the body, coiling Pacquiao over and keeping him there. Prior to the fight Pacquiao lost the WBC title at the scales, as he surpassed the weight limit of 112 pounds.

Pacquiao vs. Ledwaba

Pacquiao's big break came on June 23, 2001, against IBF Super Bantamweight title holder Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement on two weeks' notice but won the fight by technical knockout to win the title, his second major boxing world title. The bout was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao went on to defend this title four times under head trainer Freddie Roach, owner of the Wild Card Gym in West Hollywood.

Pacquiao vs. Barrera I

On November 15, 2003, Pacquiao faced Marco Antonio Barrera at the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, in a fight that many consider to have defined his career. In spite of Barrera given credit for knocking Pacquiao down in the first round (as replays showed the punch missed), Pacquiao, who was fighting at featherweight for the first time, brought his power with him and defeated Barrera via technical knockout in the eleventh round, only the second knockout loss in Barrera's career, and won The Ring and lineal featherweight championships,^[27] making him the first Filipino and Asian to become a three-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in three different weight divisions. He defended the title twice before relinquishing it in 2005.^[28]

On November 24, 2003, the then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred on Pacquiao the Presidential Medal of Merit at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang Palace for his knockout victory over the best featherweight boxer in the world. The following day, the members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines presented the House Resolution No. 765, authored by the then House Speaker Jose De Venecia and Bukidnon Representative Juan Miguel Zubiri, which honored Pacquiao the Congressional Medal of Achievement for his exceptional achievements. Pacquiao is the first sportsman to receive such an honor from the House of Representatives.^[29][30]

Pacquiao vs. Márquez I

Six months after the fight with Barrera, Pacquiao challenged Juan Manuel Márquez, who at the time held both the WBA and IBF Featherweight titles. The fight took place at the MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, on May 8, 2004.

In the first round, Márquez was caught cold, as he was knocked down three times by Pacquiao. However, Márquez showed great heart to recover from the early knockdowns and went on to win the majority of rounds thereafter. This was largely due to Márquez's counterpunch style, which he managed to effectively utilize against the aggressive style of Pacquiao. At the end of a very close fight, both boxers felt they had done enough to win the fight. The bout was scored a draw, which proved to be a controversial decision.^[31] The final scores were 115–110 for Márquez, 115–110 for Pacquiao and 113–113.^[31] The judge who scored the bout 113–113 admitted to making an error on the scorecards, having scored the first round as 10–7 in favor of Pacquiao instead of the standard 10–6 for a three-knockdown round. If he had scored the round 10–6 for Pacquiao (as the other two judges did), the result would have been a split decision in favor of Pacquiao.^[31] However, ESPN reported that some pundits have also scored the fight in favor of Márquez.^[32]

Pacquiao vs. Morales I

Pacquiao leaving the ring while giving the V sign to the crowd on the night of the first fight against Morales

On March 19, 2005, Pacquiao moved up in super featherweight, or junior lightweight, division of 130 pounds, in order to fight another Mexican legend and three-division world champion Érik Morales for the vacant WBC International and vacant IBA Super Featherweight titled. The fight took place at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. In this fight, Pacquiao sustained a cut over his right eye from an accidental clash of heads in the fifth round. He lost the twelve-round match by a unanimous decision from the judges. All three scorecards read 115–113 for Morales.^[33]

On September 10, 2005, Manny Pacquiao knocked out in six rounds Héctor Velázquez at Staples Center in Los Angeles to capture the WBC International Super Featherweight title, which he went on to defend five times. On the same day, his rival, Érik Morales, fought Zahir Raheem and lost via unanimous decision.

Pacquiao vs. Morales II

Despite Morales's loss to Raheem, Pacquiao got matched up against Morales in a rematch which took place on January 21, 2006 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. During the fight, Morales escaped being knocked down twice, once in the second round by holding onto the ropes and once in the sixth by falling on the referee. Pacquiao eventually stopped Morales in the tenth with a TKO, the first time Morales was stopped in his boxing career.^[34][35]

Pacquiao vs. Larios

On July 2, 2006, Pacquiao defended his WBC International title against Óscar Larios, a two-time Super Bantamweight Champion who had moved up two weight divisions to fight Pacquiao. Pacquiao won the fight via unanimous decision, knocking down Larios two times in the 12-round bout at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. The three judges scored the fight 117–110, 118–108 and 120–106 all for Pacquiao.^[36]

On July 3, 2006, the day after winning the fight against Larios, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo personally bestowed the Order of Lakandula with the rank of "Champion for Life" (Kampeon Habambuhay) and the plaque of appreciation to Pacquiao in a simple ceremony at the Presidential Study of Malacañang Palace.^[37]

Pacquiao vs. Morales III

Pacquiao and Morales fought a third time (with the series tied 1–1) on November 18, 2006. Witnessed by a near-record crowd of 18,276, the match saw Pacquiao defeat Morales via a third-round knockout at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.^[38] After the Pacquiao–Morales rubber match, Bob Arum, Pacquiao's main promoter, announced that Manny had returned his signing bonus back to Golden Boy Promotions, signaling intentions to stay with Top Rank. This prompted Golden Boy Promotions to sue Pacquiao over breach of contract.^[39]

Pacquiao vs. Solís

After a failed promotional negotiation with Marco Antonio Barrera's camp, Bob Arum chose Jorge Solís as Pacquiao's next opponent among several fighters Arum offered as replacements. The bout was held in San Antonio, Texas, on April 14, 2007. In the sixth round, an accidental headbutt occurred, giving Pacquiao a cut under his left eyebrow. The fight ended in the eighth when Pacquiao knocked Solis down twice. Solis barely beat the count after the second knockdown, causing the referee to stop the fight and award Pacquiao a knockout win. The victory raised Pacquiao's win–loss–draw record to 44–3–2 with 34 knockouts. This also marked the end of Solis's undefeated streak.

Pacquiao vs. Barrera II

On June 29, 2007, Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions announced that they agreed to settle their lawsuit, meaning the long-awaited rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera would occur despite Pacquiao being the top-ranked contender for Juan Manuel Márquez's WBC Super Featherweight title. On October 6, 2007, Pacquiao defeated Barrera in their rematch via an easy unanimous decision. In the eleventh round, Pacquiao's punch caused a deep cut below Barrera's right eye. Barrera retaliated with an illegal punch on the break that dazed Pacquiao, but also resulted in a point deduction for Barrera. Two judges scored the bout 118–109, whereas the third scored it 115–112.^[40]

In The Ring Magazine, Pacquiao (45–3–2) remained at the top of the super featherweight division (130 pounds). He had been in the ratings for 108 weeks.^[41][42] On November 13, 2007, he was honored by the World Boxing Council as Emeritus Champion during its 45th Annual World Convention held at the Manila Hotel.^[43]

On November 20, 2007, José Nuñez, manager of WBO Super Featherweight Champion Joan Guzmán, accused Pacquiao's handler Bob Arum of evading a match between the two boxers to protect Pacquiao.^[44] Guzmán went as far as to directly call out Pacquiao at the postfight press conference of the Pacquiao–Barrera rematch in front of the crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center's media room in Las Vegas.^[45]

Pacquiao vs. Márquez II

Pacquiao with his trainer Freddie Roach at Pacquiao's Christmas and birthday bash in Los Angeles

On March 15, 2008, in a rematch against Juan Manuel Márquez, called "Unfinished Business," Pacquiao won via split decision. The fight was held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. With the victory, Pacquiao won the WBC, The Ring and lineal super featherweight titles,^[46] making him the first Filipino and Asian to become a four-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in four different weight divisions. The fight was a close, hard-fought battle, during which both fighters received cuts.^[47] Throughout the fight, Márquez landed the most punches at a higher percentage; however, the decisive factor proved to be a third-round knockdown, wherein Márquez was floored by a Pacquiao left hook.^[47] At the end of the fight, the judges' scores were 115–112 for Pacquiao, 115–112 for Márquez and 114–113 for Pacquiao.^[47]

In the post-fight news conference, Márquez's camp called for an immediate rematch. In addition, Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions CEO, offered a $6 million guarantee to Pacquiao for a rematch.^[48] However, Pacquiao ruled out a third clash with Márquez, saying, "I don't think so. This business is over."^[47] The reason that Pacquiao did not want a rematch was because he intended to move up to the lightweight division to challenge David Díaz, the reigning WBC Lightweight title holder at that time.^[47] Díaz won a majority decision over Ramón Montano that night as an undercard of the "Unfinished Business" fight.

Pacquiao vs. Díaz

On June 28, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Pacquiao defeated David Díaz in lightweight division via ninth-round knockout and won the WBC Lightweight title. With the victory, Pacquiao became the first and only Filipino and Asian to become a five-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in five different weight divisions,^[49] and also became the first Filipino fighter to ever win a world title at lightweight.^[50] During the fight, which Pacquiao dominated, Díaz was cut badly on his right eye in the fourth round.^[51] After the bout, Díaz acknowledged Pacquiao's superior hand speed, stating "It was his speed. It was all his speed. I could see the punches perfectly, but he was just too fast."^[52]

Bob Arum reported that the fight had made 12.5 million dollars, earning Díaz his best payday of 850,000 dollars, whilst Pacquiao earned at least 3 million dollars.^[49] Official records revealed an attendance of 8,362 (out of a maximum capacity of 12,000).^[53]

Holding both the WBC Super Featherweight and Lightweight titles following the win, Pacquiao decided to vacate his super featherweight title in July 2008.^[54]

On August 7, 2008, the members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines issued a House Resolution, sponsored by South Cotabato Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio, which recognized Pacquiao as a "People's Champ" — "for his achievements and in appreciation of the honor and inspiration he has been bringing... to the Filipino people." He received a plaque from the then House Speaker Prospero Nograles.^[55]

Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya

On December 6, 2008, Pacquiao moved up to the welterweight division in order to face the six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand, in a fight called "The Dream Match". Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, the bout was scheduled as a twelve-round, non-title fight contested at the 147-pound welterweight limit. Although Pacquiao went into the fight widely recognized as the leading pound-for-pound boxer in the world, some boxing pundits had speculated that 147 pounds could be too far above his natural weight against the larger De La Hoya.^[56] However, due to rehydration after the weigh in, De La Hoya came into the fight actually weighing less than Pacquiao and close to 20 pounds under his usual fighting weight. Pacquiao dominated the fight and, after eight rounds, De La Hoya's corner was forced to throw in the towel, awarding Pacquiao the win via technical knockout.^[57]

Pacquiao was ahead on all three judges' scorecards before the stoppage, with two judges scoring the fight at 80–71 and one scoring it at 79–72.^[58] Moreover, Pacquiao landed 224 out of 585 punches, whilst De La Hoya landed only 83 out of 402 punches.^[58] After the bout, trainer Freddie Roach stated, "We knew we had him after the first round. He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot."^[59] The fight would be De La Hoya's last, as he announced his retirement from boxing shortly after.^[60]

Pacquiao received 15 to 30 million dollars (share of the pay-per-view), plus a guaranteed amount.^[61] Tickets reportedly sold out just hours after they went on sale. Moreover, the total gate revenue for the fight was said to be nearly 17 million dollars, making it the second largest gate revenue in boxing history.^[62]

On December 22, 2008, Pacquiao has been decorated with the Philippine Legion of Honor with the rank of "Officer" (Pinuno) in a ceremony marking the 73rd founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As an army reservist, he was given recognition for bringing pride and honor to the country through his remarkable achievements in the ring.^[63]

Pacquiao vs. Hatton

Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton with their trainers at the Trafford Centre

On May 2, 2009, Pacquiao fought at light welterweight, or super lightweight, division for the first time against Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, in a fight billed as "The Battle of the East and West." Pacquiao won the bout via knockout to claim Hatton's IBO, The Ring and lineal light welterweight titles.^[64] In doing so, Pacquiao became the second man in boxing history to become a six-division world champion, a fighter who won world titles in six different weight divisions and the first man ever to win lineal world titles in four different weight classes.^[65]

The fight was originally placed in jeopardy due to disputes with both camps over the fight purse money.^[66] Eventually, the money issue was settled and the fight went on as scheduled. HBO aired the contest.^[67]

Pacquiao started the fight strong, knocking down Hatton twice in the first round.^[68] A somewhat shaken Hatton beat the count, only to be saved by the bell seconds later. In the second round, Hatton seemed to have recovered, as he stalked Pacquiao for most of the round. However, with less than ten seconds remaining in the second round, Hatton was knocked out cold by a sharp left hook, prompting the referee to award Pacquiao the win by knockout (at 2:59 of the round).^[69]

The knockout won him The Ring Magazine "Knockout of the Year" for 2009.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto

Pacquiao in 2009

On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto via technical knockout in the twelfth round at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in a fight billed as "Firepower." Although the bout was sanctioned as a world title fight in the welterweight division, where the weight limit is 147 pounds, Cotto agreed to fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds.^[70]

Pacquiao dominated the fight, knocking Cotto down in round three and round four, before the referee stopped the fight at 0:55 of round twelve.^[71] With this victory, Pacquiao took the WBO Welterweight title, was awarded the WBO Super Championship title and became the first seven-division world champion, the first fighter in boxing history to win world titles in seven different weight divisions.^[72] Pacquiao also won the first and special WBC Diamond Championship belt.^[73] This belt was created as an honorary championship exclusively to award the winner of a historic fight between two high-profile boxers.^[74] After the fight, promoter Bob Arum stated "Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I've ever seen, and I've seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard."^[75] Miguel Cotto said in a post fight interview: "Miguel Cotto comes to boxing to fight the biggest names, and Manny is one of the best boxers we have of all time."

The fight generated 1.25 million buys and $70 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009.^[76] Pacquiao earned around $22 million for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around $12 million.^[76] Pacquiao–Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930.^[76]

On November 20, 2009, in a simple rites at the Quirino Grandstand, President Macapagal-Arroyo conferred Pacquiao the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu (Grand Cross) with Gold distinction (Katangiang Ginto) which usually bestowed to foreign diplomats and heads of state. It was awarded to Pacquiao for winning his historical seventh weight division world title.^[77]

Negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Following the victory against Cotto, there was much public demand for a fight between the seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (the number-one pound-for-pound boxer) and the five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (the number-two and former number-one pound-for-pound boxer). Pacquiao reportedly agreed to fight Mayweather on March 13, 2010 for a split of $50 million up front,^[78] and it was later agreed that the venue for the fight would be the MGM Grand Las Vegas. However, the bout was put in jeopardy due to disagreements about Olympic-style drug testing. The Mayweather camp wanted random blood testing by the United States Anti-Doping Agency,^[79] whereas Pacquiao refused to have any blood testing within 30 days from the fight, because he thought it would weaken him, but he was willing to have blood taken from him before the 30-day window as well as immediately after the fight.^[80] Freddie Roach, on the other hand, commented that he would not allow blood to be taken from Pacquiao one week before the fight.^[81][82] In an attempt to resolve their differences, the two camps went through a process of mediation before a retired judge. After the mediation process Mayweather agreed to a 14-day no blood testing window. However, Pacquiao refused and instead only agreed to a 24-day no blood testing window.^[83] Consequently, on January 7, 2010, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum declared that the fight was officially off.^[84]

Because of Pacquiao's reluctance to submit to random blood testing to the extent requested by Mayweather, despite lack of evidence, the Mayweather camp repeated their suggestion that Pacquiao was using banned substances, which resulted in Pacquiao filing a lawsuit for defamation, seeking damages in excess of 75,000 dollars.^[85] The lawsuit cited accusations made by Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., Roger Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.^[85][86]

After negotiations for the Mayweather fight fell through, other boxers were considered to replace Mayweather as Pacquiao's next opponent, including former Light Welterweight Champion Paul Malignaggi,^[87] and WBA Light Middleweight title holder Yuri Foreman.^[88] However, Pacquiao chose to fight former IBF Welterweight title holder Joshua Clottey instead.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey

On March 13, 2010, at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Pacquiao defeated Clottey via unanimous decision to retain his WBO Welterweight title. The judges scored the fight 120–108, 119–109, and 119–109, all in favor of Pacquiao.^[89] During the fight, Pacquiao threw a total of 1231 punches (a career high), but landed just 246, as most were blocked by Clottey's tight defense. On the other hand, Clottey threw a total of 399 punches, landing 108.^[90]

The fight was rewarded with a paid crowd of 36,371 and a gate of $6,359,985, according to post-fight tax reports filed with Texas boxing regulators.^[91] Counting complimentary tickets delivered to sponsors, media outlets and others, the Dallas fight attracted 41,843,^[91] well short of the 50,994 that was previously announced,^[92] but still an epic number for boxing. In addition, the bout drew 700,000 pay-per-view buys and earned $35.3 million in domestic revenue.^[93]

Manny Pacquiao was named as the Fighter of the Decade for years 2000–2009 by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). This award was presented by legendary boxer Joe Frazier, who was also a recipient of the award himself back in 1978 for defeating Muhammad Ali. Aside from this prestigious recognition, he was also named as the Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year for 2009, having received the same honor in 2006 and 2008. The awards ceremony was held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on June 4, 2010.^[13]

After his victory over Clottey, Pacquiao was expected to return to boxing in late 2010 with a possible matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr.. It was later reported that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Top Rank Chief Bob Arum worked out a "Super Fight" between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.. However, complications arose when Mayweather requested Pacquiao undergo random blood and urine testing up until the fight day. Pacquiao responded that he would agree to undergo blood and urine testing up until 14 days before the fight (as requested by Mayweather in the first round of negotiations), stating that giving blood too close to the fight day would weaken him. On May 13, 2010, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum announced that he had penciled in November 13, 2010 as the date of Manny Pacquiao's next fight, possibly against Mayweather. However, the stumbling block over demands that Pacquiao submit to Olympic-level random drug testing put the fight in jeopardy.^[94]

On June 12, 2010, the President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya, stated during an interview with a Spanish network that the deal for the fight was very close and the negotiation process has been very difficult.^[95] On June 30, 2010, Arum announced that the management of both sides had agreed to terms, that all points had been settled (including Pacquiao agreeing to submit to both blood and urine testing) and only the signature of Floyd Mayweather Jr. was needed to seal the deal that could have earned both fighters at least $40 million each. Mayweather was then given a two-week deadline for the fight contract to be signed.^[96] Arum also announced that Pacquiao accepted the terms of the random drug testing, blood and urine, leading up to the fight.^[97]

On July 15, 2010, Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao's camp would give Mayweather until Friday midnight to sign the fight. The next day, the Top Rank website embedded a countdown clock on their website with the heading "Money" Time: Mayweather's Decision.^[98] On July 17, 2010, Arum announced that there was no word from Mayweather's camp and the deal for a November 13, 2010 fight with Mayweather was not reached.

On July 19, 2010, Leonard Ellerbe, one of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s closest advisers, denied that negotiations for a super fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao had ever taken place. Ellerbe stated that Bob Arum was not telling the truth.^[99] Bob Arum responded, questioning that if there was no negotiation, then who imposed the gag order (referring to a gag order about the negotiation allegedly imposed on both camps) and who could there be a gag order from if there were no negotiations. He also criticized Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer for denying that negotiations took place, when De La Hoya himself had previously stated that they were "very, very close in finalizing the contracts."^[100] Arum revealed that HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg acted as the mediator between Mayweather's handlers and those of Pacquiao's from Top Rank Promotions.^[101]

On July 26, 2010, Ross Greenburg said in a statement that he has been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2, 2010, carefully trying to put the fight together and he did in fact act as a go-between in negotiations with the two sides, but they were unable to come to an agreement, contradicting what Arum and the Pacquiao camp had said.^[102][103] Floyd Mayweather Jr., after the second negotiation had been officially declared off, told the Associated Press that he had fought sixty days ago and that he was not interested in rushing into anything and was not really thinking about boxing at the moment.^[104] Almost a year later, on July 8, 2011, Manny Pacquiao's top adviser Michael Koncz confirmed that Pacquiao had in fact never agreed to testing up until fight day, which contradicted what Bob Arum and the Pacquiao camp had been saying for well over a year.

Pacquiao vs. Margarito

On July 23, 2010, Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao would fight Antonio Margarito on November 13, 2010. The fight for the vacant WBC Light Middleweight title gave Pacquiao the chance to win a world title in his eighth weight class, the light middleweight, or super welterweight, division.^[105] A catchweight of 150 pounds was established for the fight, although the weight limit for the light middleweight division is 154 pounds. During the pre-fight, Pacquiao weighed in at a low 144.6 pounds, while Margarito weighed in at the limit of 150 pounds. Pacquiao said he was pleased with his weight because he loses too much speed when he gains pounds. During the fight itself, Pacquiao weighed 148 lbs, 17 pounds lighter than Margarito's 165.^[106]

Prior to the fight, Pacquiao's team demanded to the Texas officials to test Margarito for banned substances after a weight loss supplement, reportedly Hydroxycut, was found in his locker. It was stated that the officials would undergo testing for both boxers after the fight.^[107] In the fight, Pacquiao defeated Margarito via unanimous decision, using his superior handspeed and movement to win his 8th world title in as many divisions. In the penultimate round, Pacquiao implored referee Laurence Cole several times to stop the fight as Margarito had a swollen face and a large cut beneath the right eye, but the referee let the fight continue.^[108] Margarito had to be taken directly to the hospital after the fight, where it was discovered his orbital bone had been fractured; he had to undergo surgery.^[109]

On November 22, 2010, after winning world title in his eighth weight division, Pacquiao was awarded with another Congressional Medal of Distinction from his fellow congressmen led by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte during the ceremony at the Philippine House of Representatives.^[110]

Because Pacquiao had no plans to defend the WBC Light Middleweight title that he won against Margarito, the WBC Board of Governors voted to declare the title vacant.^[111]

Pacquiao vs. Mosley

On May 7, 2011, Pacquiao successfully defended his WBO Welterweight title against three-division world champion Shane Mosley via lopsided unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Arena. Rapper LL Cool J performed as Mosley first entered the arena, while vocalist Jimi Jamison of the rock band Survivor sang "Eye of the Tiger" as Pacquiao approached the ring. Pacquiao knocked Mosley down in the third round using a one-two capped with a left straight. Mosley was left dazed by the knockdown but managed to stand up.^[112] Mosley floored Pacquiao in the tenth round with a push, but referee Kenny Bayless inexplicably ruled it a knockdown. None of the judges seemed to have bought it judging from the scores. Replays showed that Pacquiao was throwing a punch off balance, had his right foot stepped on by Mosley's left foot and went down with a little help from Mosley's right hand. Bayless apologized to Pacquiao after the fight for the mistake. Pacquiao gained one-sided verdicts from all three judges (119–108, 120–108, and 120–107).^[113] Pacquiao reported that the only thing preventing him from knocking out Mosley was a cramp in his legs. Freddie Roach said that Pacquiao had problems with cramping before but usually in training sessions and not in the middle of bouts.^[114] After the fight, there was much controversy over Shane Mosley reportedly telling Floyd Mayweather that he should have made Pacquiao "take the test."^[115]

Bob Arum talked about having Pacquiao's next bout at the MGM Grand on November 5, 2011 or across town at the Thomas and Mack Center on November 12, 2011. Arum listed Juan Manuel Márquez as the first choice and then mentioned Timothy Bradley and Zab Judah as other options.^[116]

Pacquiao vs. Márquez III

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum stated that a third meeting with Márquez could happen in November 2011, providing Pacquiao defeated his next opponent Shane Mosley on May 7. On May 10, Márquez accepted an offer from Top Rank to fight Pacquiao for his WBO Welterweight title at a catchweight of 144 pounds.^[117] On May 18, Márquez signed the deal to fight Pacquiao for the third time on November 12 at Las Vegas.

On November 12, Márquez lost to Pacquiao via majority decision by garnering scores 114–114, 115–113, and 116–112 from scorecards of three judges. Upon the results being announced, the crowd reaction was largely negative with thousands continuing to boo^[118] as Pacquiao spoke with Max Kellerman. Tim Smith of New York's Daily News wrote that Márquez "was robbed of a decision by judges who were either blind or corrupt."^[119] However, ringside punch stats showed Pacquiao landing more strikes, 176 to 138, and landing more power punches, 117 to 100.^[120] Michael Woods of ESPN stated that Márquez was not robbed noting the Compubox stats, all of which favored Pacquiao.^[121]

Pacquiao vs. Bradley

On February 5, Bob Arum announced Timothy Bradley as Pacquiao's next opponent on June 9 for his WBO Welterweight title, after another failed negotiation attempt with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on Cinco De Mayo.^[122] During the final press conference, WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel awarded Pacquiao with WBO Diamond Ring in recognition of Pacquiao as the WBO Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter of the Decade.^[123]

Pacquiao lost the bout in a controversial split decision, scoring 115–113, 113–115, and 113–115 from the three judges. The decision was booed by the crowd and criticized by many news outlets who were independently scoring the fight. However, Pacquiao was gracious in defeat and Bradley called for a rematch. Following the decision, many analysts called the decision a sign of corruption in the sport. ESPN.com scored the fight 119–109 for Pacquiao. HBO's unofficial judge, Harold Lederman, also had it 119–109 for Pacquiao. Most ringside media also scored the fight in favor of Pacquiao.^[124]

Four days after the fight, Valcarcel said in a statement on June 13, 2012, that, though the WBO did not doubt the ability of the scoring judges, the WBO's Championship Committee would review the video of the fight with five independent, competent and recognized international judges and make a recommendation.^[125] On June 21, 2012, the five WBO Championship Committee judges on the review panel announced that Pacquiao should have won, with all five judges scoring the fight in Pacquiao's favor—117–111, 117–111, 118–110, 116–112, and 115–113. The WBO cannot overturn the result of the fight (only the NSAC would be able to do so), but recommended a rematch between the fighters.^[126]

Pacquiao vs. Márquez IV

Pacquiao fought Juan Manuel Márquez on December 8, 2012. The fight was for the WBO's "Champion of the Decade" belt.^[127] Márquez knocked down Pacquiao in the 3rd round with a looping right hook. In round 5, Pacquiao returned the favor, knocking down Márquez. Pacquiao went on the offensive in the 6th round. While behind the scorecards and with just 1 second left in the 6th round, Márquez countered Pacquiao's jab with an overhand right, sending Pacquiao face first to the canvas, resulting in a knockout. Pacquiao, who had not been knocked out in over 13 years since his loss to Medgeon Singsurat in 1999, remained unconscious for several minutes.^[128] This was named The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" and "Knockout of the Year" and "International Fight of the Year" by the British website BoxRec. Márquez was also named "International Fighter of the Year" by the same publication.^[129]

Pacquiao vs. Ríos

After 11 months away from boxing, Pacquiao returned to the ring on November 24, 2013, at The Venetian Macao Hotel & Resort's CotaiArena in Macau of the Special administrative regions in China against The Ring ranked #6 Junior Welterweight: Brandon Ríos, for the vacant WBO International welterweight title. This was Pacquiao's first fight to be held in China. Pacquiao won the match by unanimous decision.^[130]

Pacquiao vs. Bradley II

Following his victory over Rios, Pacquiao sought out and ultimately got a rematch with the WBO Welterweight Champion of the world: Timothy Bradley who, following his controversial win over Pacquiao in their first fight in 2012, had defended the title with a victory over Ruslan Provodnikov, followed by a close, but clear split decision verdict over WBO 'Champion of the Decade': Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Márquez. The fight was eventually set for the date of April 12, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a tough fight, Pacquiao came on the stronger of the two fighters throughout the later rounds of the fight to end up gaining a unanimous decision victory from the judges: 118–110, 116–112, 116–112.^[131]

Pacquiao vs. Algieri

Pacquiao faced undefeated WBO Light Welterweight Champion Chris Algieri in Macau on November 23, 2014, for Pacquiao's welterweight title. Pacquiao dominated the bout and scored six official knockdowns en route to a lopsided victory via unanimous decision (119–103, 119–103, and 120–102).^[132]

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao during the official weigh-in, 2015

Pacquiao fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2, 2015. After years of tumultuous negotiations, the two finally met in the ring, Pacquiao with the intent to be the aggressor and Mayweather with the strategy of diffuse and counter. The fight went the distance and to the official judges scorecards which read (118–110, 116–112, 116–112) in favor of Mayweather.^[133]

The result was largely criticized by many of the fans and celebrities who witnessed the fight, expressing their disappointment of what had been billed as the "Fight of the Century".^[134] The verdict was that the fight did not live up to its expectations mostly on the performance of Mayweather's defense-oriented strategy, with Pacquiao essentially chasing him around the ring trying to create an action. Most individual opinions about the match were split in two.^[135][136] Other reporters and fellow fighters, on closer inspection of the fight, have questioned the Compubox stats and judges score cards, especially the wideness of the margins, stating that the rounds should have been scored much closer, or that Pacquiao should have won via a small edge.^{[137][138][139][140]}

Manny Pacquiao said "I thought I won the fight. He's moving around. It's not easy to throw punches when he's moving around so much. It's not about size. Size doesn't matter. I fought bigger. I thought I caught him many more times than he caught me."^[141]

In the post-fight interview, the Pacquiao camp claimed he fought handicapped with an injured right shoulder. Promoter Bob Arum said he suffered the injury in mid-March, describing it as "the same as the one Kobe Bryant had." Manny said: "This fight doesn't bother me too much, I did my best. I hurt my shoulder, but I didn't complain or say I was injured. This is part of the game. I didn't want to make any excuses."^[142]

In the end despite the criticism the Mayweather vs Pacquiao match earned a record 4.4 million pay-per-view buys.^[143]

It was revealed in September 2015 that Mayweather had used IV injections before the fight to rehydrate after the weigh in.^[144] USADA did not give an exemption until 19 days after the date of the fight and Mayweather was heavily criticized for taking saline and vitamins.^[145] The Nevada State Athletic Commission, which denied Pacquiao a painkiller for his torn rotator cuff before the fight said that it was "extremely disappointed" with both Mayweather and USADA.^[144] Pacquiao's camp voiced their displeasure after the revelation. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum stated that "USADA has a lot of explaining to do. When we learned about this I was outraged. But I can't just bay at the moon. What legal redress do we have? I have the information, our lawyers got it, but what were we supposed to do with it? Ask for the decision to be reversed? I really think people have to look closely at USADA and investigate what's going on with them."^[145] Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser stated "I find it ironic. We tried to get an injection that was totally legal before the fight and the commission slams us and then this thing with Mayweather happens."^[145]

In a podcast interview conducted by BoxingScene website, Arum blames the USADA for all of the controversy that following that event:

"I really blame an organization that I know that you have no love for, for really causing the problem with that fight - and that is USADA," Arum stated. "Because as a condition for doing that fight, the Mayweather people made us use USADA. And when Manny hurt his shoulder... Manny had for many years a torn rotator cuff. That's not as dangerous as you think. A lot of major league pitchers have pitched with a torn rotator cuff. Manny's [injury] was about 50%, so in training he hurt it, so we immediately sent him to a big orthopedist. He does the Dodgers, the Clippers. And he and his staff, they have a protocol, and everything was checked in with USADA.

"And then the doctor said that they wanted, about three hours before the fight, to shoot something into the injury - in case it goes a little bad you don't feel it and its perfectly permissible. And we went to USADA and they absolutely agreed, and they signed off, and we were told that they were going to inform the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

"So the night of the fight, the doctor is in the dressing room and he's getting ready to shoot Manny's shoulder. The inspector is in there, for the commission, and we find out that the USADA people did not inform the Nevada Athletic Commission that they had approved this shot.

"So Manny went into the fight without taking that shot. USADA said they forgot. And then we find out later, that after the weighin.... the USADA people went back to where Mayweather was, just as they went back to where Pacquiao was, and they were giving Mayweather a shot, which is prohibited under WADA/USADA law, to rehydrate him and he needed no rehydrating. People say that shot is used to hide the use of performance enhancing drugs. They then gave him, three weeks after the fight, a TUE [Therapeutic Use Exemption].

"People say, why would USADA do such a thing? Well, we use an organization called VADA, which is approved by the Nevada Commission and they charge us. They are used for every fight, and they charge us $20,000 for the testing. Do you know what USADA charges? $100,000 to $150,000. And who pays that in boxing? Only Mayweather."^[146]

Pacquiao vs. Bradley III

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao's next opponents were to be either Terence Crawford, Lucas Matthysse, or Kell Brook.^[147] There was also speculation that Amir Khan would another possible foe.^[148]

Boxing fans were surprised when Manny Pacquiao and his camp chose to challenge Timothy Bradley Jr. in a rubber match on April 9, 2016 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the WBO International welterweight title.^[149] According to Pacquiao this will be his last fight as a professional.^[150][151]

On February 22, Philippine senatorial candidate Walden Bello asked the Commission of Elections (COMELEC) to cancel the Pacquiao's fight against Bradley, because it will give the boxer-politician free publicity, violating the Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act. The fight will fall in the 90-day national candidates campaign period for the national elections.^[152] Arum said in an interview that the fight's cancellation is not yet an option and stated that there is no conflict-of-interest between the fight and Pacquiao's senatorial campaign.^[153]

Prior of this bout, Pacquiao and Bradley were regarded as the two most accomplished and best welterweights in the world by TBRB, BoxingScene and ESPN and two top 5 best pound-for-pound fighters. Pacquiao won the match via unanimous decision to capture the vacant WBO International and lineal welterweight titles.^{[154][155][156]} This makes him the only fighter in history to win lineal championships in five different weight classes.^[157][158] In addition, Pacquiao becomes the only third fighter in boxing history to win three lineal crowns in the divisions alternatively referred to as the original, major, or glamour divisions^[159] (flyweight, featherweight and welterweight) joining the exclusive club of Bob Fitzsimmons and Henry Armstrong who have won a legitimate world championship in three of the original eight weight divisions.^[160][161] After the match, Pacquiao said, "As of now, I am retired", and later shared "I'm going to go home and think about it. I want to be with my family. I want to serve the people."^[162]

Pacquiao vs. Vargas

On August 3, Pacquiao's business manager confirmed that WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) will be the next opponent for Pacquiao on November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[171][172] Pacquiao made the confirmation after a two-hour meeting with Top Rank's Bob Arum and Canadian adviser Michael Koncz held in Manila on August 7, that he agreed to fight Vargas. "Yes, the fight is on. I have agreed to a Nov. 5 fight with reigning WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. Boxing is my passion. I miss what I'd been doing inside the gym and atop the ring. My entire training camp will be held here in the Philippines so I can attend to my legislative works. This is my campaign promise and I'm determined to keep it," Pacquiao said in a statement. He also explained that he has to fight again to earn a living: "Boxing is my main source of income. I can't rely on my salary as public official. I'm helping the family of my wife and my own family, as well. Many people also come to me to ask for help and I just couldn't ignore them."^[173][174]

On August 11, it was revealed by Bob Arum that the fight will not be distributed by HBO PPV despite a contract with Pacquiao. HBO reportedly declined to carry the fight because they are already committed to hosting the anticipated November 19 fight between unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and former lineal super middleweight champion Andre Ward and certainly the network couldn't handle two PPVs in one month and would prefer for Pacquiao to fight on October 29, along with the Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko heavyweight championship match instead.^[175] But Arum said Pacquiao has to fight around his Philippine Senate schedule which effectively makes other fight dates impossible. Arum reiterated that if HBO will not produce or distribute the PPV, it will invalidate Pacquiao's contract with the network and make him a free agent: "In my opinion, they have an obligation to distribute this fight. The fact that they passed means the contract is over, it seems clear to me. They can't pick and choose which fights they are going to distribute. They're either in breach of contract or they've ended the contract. My feeling is, based my legal background, is that the contract is terminated."^[176]

HBO, on the other hand, believed that their existing contract with Pacquiao still stands, although they would not publicly comment on the disagreement otherwise. Arum said that HBO has no right to object to the date since he's putting up the money as the promoter while the network bears no risk. He also claims that their contract with the network clearly states that only Pacquiao's opponent has to be mutually agreed upon by both sides, not the date.^[177] HBO has televised nearly all of Pacquiao's major fights including 21 pay-per-views since 2003. According to Arum, possible distributor of the fight include cable giants Turner Broadcasting System, ESPN and HBO's rival network Showtime.

In a press conference on September 8 held in Los Angeles California, it was announced by Bob Arum that the fight will be self-distributed by Top Rank PPV. He also revealed that his company will continue to produce and distribute future pay-per-view events without the involvement of HBO.^[178] As for the commentating panel, Arum stressed that he plans to put a star-studded announcing team, which will rival the work of HBO's Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman. Arum confided that he is in talks with major boxing analysts, but he declined to name one as he has not worked out any official deals yet. "I think the commentating team is going to blow everybody's socks off," he vowed. According to Arum, Top Rank's initial plans have received a good feedback from its partners and television companies, which gives him a hindsight that they could pull it off. "They're all very, very receptive to getting this kind of programming. But right now, this looks like the most likely scenario," Arum stated.^[179]

On September 26, Top Rank unveiled the broadcast team for the Nov. 5 PPV bout featuring sports commentating stars Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, Brian Kenny of MLB Network, Charissa Thompson of Fox Sports and former two-division and five-time world champion Timothy Bradley as the ringside commentating team for the fight. The pay-per-view telecast will also feature WBO jr. featherweight champion Nonito Donaire and WBO featherweight champion Óscar Valdez. This marks the first time Pacquiao and Donaire, the two biggest boxing stars to come out of the Philippines, have ever shared the same card.^[180]

In the fight, Pacquiao defeated Vargas in a lopsided unanimous decision to win the WBO welterweight title for the third time. In the second round, Pacquiao caught Vargas with a straight left counter, dropping him to the canvas. In the eighth round, an accidental clash of heads opened a deep cut on Vargas’ right eyebrow. However, replays between rounds clearly showed that the cut above Vargas’ eye in the eighth was caused by a left straight punch, which the Nevada Athletic Commission has ruled. In the eleventh round, Vargas went down on a slip, tripping over his feet after he got hit by a right. Vargas went down again in the twelfth round, but Kenny Bayless ruled it another slip. Pacquiao won on all three ringside scorecards—118–109, 118–109 and 114–113.^[181] According to Compubox statistics, Pacquiao landed 147 of 409 of his punches (36%), and Vargas landed 104 of 562 of his punches thrown (19%).^[182] Pacquiao was guaranteed $4 million plus a percentage of the revenue of the fight while Vargas was guaranteed $2.5 million.^[183]

Pacquiao vs. Horn

On February 26, 2017, both Pacquiao and Amir Khan announced on Twitter that they would face each other on April 23 in a "super fight".^{[184][185][186]} The UAE, specifically Abu Dhabi, were front runners to host the fight worth potentially £30 million, with the United States and the UK also being possibilities. Pacquiao was initially in negotiations to fight Jeff Horn in Australia, but held a poll asking the fans who he should fight next. Khan won the poll, thus setting up the fight.^[187] The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, Zayed Sports City Stadium and Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi were being considered as the venue.^{[188][189][190][191]} Speaking to Bob Arum on March 1, Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz confirmed the fight would take place on May 19 in the United States which means it would be a Friday night PPV and May 20 in the Middle-East.^[192] In the early morning of March 2, Bob Arum stated that the date of the fight was not close to being set with Khan's representatives. Later that day, Khan's camp confirmed they had agreed the revised fight date.^[193][194] Bob Arum told ESPN on 8 March that there was never a deal in place for the fight to take place, "It's kaddish for the UAE deal. It's dead." Arum also mentioned that if there was any chance the fight can take place, it would be in the second half of 2017 and that Khan would not be Pacquiao's next opponent.^{[195][196][197]}

Arum, on March 27 told the International Business Times that Pacquiao vs. Horn was back on.^[198] A likely date of July 2, 2017 was discussed.^[198] On April 1, it was confirmed that Horn had signed the contract at his end and was waiting for Pacquiao, who was believed to have received the contract. He and his team were going over the terms. “We have to get the contract signed. They’re reviewing the contract and hopefully it will be signed in the next hours or so. On the Australian side, everything is done. Jeff Horn has signed the contract,” Arum told The Star.^[199] Arum later stated that there was no deadline for an agreement to be reached before declaring 'everything is done'.^[200][201] It was reported by Manila Times on April 7 that Pacquiao had signed for the fight to take place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. It was noted that he would start training in the first week of May.^[202] Around 55,000 fans around the world were expected to be in attendance and the event would pump at least $24 million into the local economy.^[203] On April 10, Carl Moretti told ESPN the fight was close to being finalized.^[204] Bob Arum officially announced the fight on April 10, billed as "The Battle of Brisbane".^[205] On June 1, it was reported that 40,000 tickets had been sold within over a month left for the fight.^[206] On June 19, 2017, it was announced that ESPN and Top Rank finalized a deal that would air the bout live on ESPN. This marked the first time that a Pacquiao fight would not be on pay-per-view since his co-main event fight with Hector Velasquez in an Erik Morales-Zahir Raheem headliner on September 10, 2005.^[207]

In front of 51,052, Pacquiao lost a hard fought fight via a controversial unanimous decision when the three judges scored it 117–111, 115–113, 115–113 in favor of Horn. Many pundits, current and former boxers believed Pacquiao had done enough to retain the WBO title. Although Horn was the aggressor and showed determination throughout the fight, it nearly came to an end in round 9 when Pacquiao took control and looked for the stoppage. Horn survived the round and was told by referee Mark Nelson, that he needs to show competitiveness or he would stop the fight. Despite now having lost four of his last nine fights, Pacquiao remained humble, “I’m professional. I respect the judges.” It was reported that Horn would receive $500,000 from this fight and Pacquiao was guaranteed at least $10 million. Pacquiao stated he would activate the rematch clause and fight Horn again at the end of 2017. Compubox stats showed that Pacquiao landed 182 out of 573 punches thrown (32%), whilst Horn landed 92 of 625 thrown (15%).^[208][209]

Post-fight stats showed that Pacquiao landed almost double the number of punches that Horn landed.^[210] Dieter Kurtenbach of Fox Sports described the fight as "rigged", and T. J. Quinn of ESPN commented, “No way in hell Horn won unanimously,” he tweeted. “A 117–111 card? Ridiculous. This is a hometown hit job. Manny looked old, but mostly in control".^[210]

In regards to the controversial scorecards, ESPN's Dan Rafael scored the fight 117–111 and ESPN analyst Teddy Atlas scored it 116–111, both for Pacquiao.^[211] The Guardian and IBT also scored the fight in favor of Pacquiao as well, 117–111.^[212][213] BoxingScene had it 116–112 for Pacquiao, while CBS Sports scored the fight 114–114 even.^[214][215] BoxNation's Steve Bunce scored the fight 115–113 for Horn.^[216] In total, 12 of 15 media outlets scored the bout for Pacquiao, 2 of 15 outlets ruled in favor of Horn, and 1 scored a draw.^[217] In total, 12 of 15 media outlets scored the bout for Pacquiao, 2 of 15 outlets ruled in favor of Horn, and 1 scored a draw.^[218]

On July 6, 2017, the WBO announced that it would re-score the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn fight but the result would still stand.^[219] The WBO rescored the fight 7 rounds to 5 in favour of Horn.^[220] Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said the result of the WBO's review "doesn't settle anything." Arum stated: "First of all they didn't [rule] that Jeff Horn clearly won the fight. They (WBO) had five judges scoring the fight: three had Horn winning narrowly, one had it a draw, one had Pacquiao winning."^[221] Pacquiao was 'not surprised' with the re-score and vowed to fight on and continue his professional boxing career.^[222][223]

Pacquiao vs. Matthysse

On January 16, 2018 it was first reported that Pacquiao would return to the ring on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn for the WBO welterweight championship on April 21. Arum wanted the card to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and have the card take place on ESPN PPV.^[224][225] Early rumours indicated he would fight 37 year old former WBO light welterweight champion Mike Alvarado (38-4, 26 KOs).^[226] On February 2, after winning the vacant WBA (Regular) welterweight title against Tewa Kiram, Lucas Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs) stated he was interested in fighting Pacquiao next.^[227] Freddie Roach as well as Golden Boy Promotions Eric Gomez liked the idea of the fight happening.^[228] Arum was also open to fight taking place, but stated it wouldn't happen next as he was likely to match Pacquiao with Alvarado.^[229] On March 1, Pacquiao withdrew from the Crawford-Horn card. According to Aquiles Zonio, Pacquiao's media relations officer, Pacquiao felt it was insult to have him in a non-main event roll and felt he was the obvious ticket seller for the card, also believing he beat Horn in their fight in 2017.^[230] In an interview, Pacquiao told ABS-CBN television he would fight in Malaysia, where he has a group willing to put up the necessary funds, in May or June 2018.^[231] It was said that Pacquiao's MP Promotions would promote the event with a confirmed date of June 24. Arum played down the talks and said the fight had not been finalized.^[232] Pacquiao started training for the potential bout on March 12.^[233] Although the fight wasn't officially announced, the date was pushed back to July 8. Pacquiao explained the reason the date had changed was because June 24 would have fallen 10 days after the Islamic month, Ramadan and more than 60% of Malaysia's population are Muslim.^[234]

On April 2, the fight was officially confirmed for July 14, US time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pacquiao would go into the fight without long-time trainer Freddie Roach and instead be trained by his life-long friend Buboy Fernandez, who had served as an assistant trainer in previous fights. It would mark the first time in 34 fights, since 2001 that Roach would not be in Pacquiao's corner. It was noted that Top Rank would deal with the television distribution of the fight in the United States with the fight taking place on ESPN+, at the time, ESPN's new monthly subscription streaming service. In order for the fight to take place during primetime hours in the United States due to the time difference, the bout would take place on Sunday morning, July 15 in Malaysia.^{[235][236][237]} On April 13, it was officially rumored that Pacquiao had parted ways with Roach. However, on April 15, Pacquiao had wrote to social media that he had not decided on who will coach for the bout against Matthysse.^[238] On May 18, according to sources in Argentina, the fight was in jeopardy and likely to be postponed. A day later however, Pacquiao denied the reports and called the rumours "malicious and untrue."^[239][240] By July 1, there was still doubts about the fight taking place, notably from Bob Arum. Pacquiao however, told Philboxing.com the preparations were in the final stages and the funds would be released to Golden Boy in the coming days.^[241] On July 2, Golden Boy and Matthysse confirmed receipt of funds and proposed to fly out to Malaysia the next day.^[242]

The fight took place at the Axiata Arena. Pacquiao scored his first knockout in nine years by stopping Matthysse in round 7 to win the WBA (Regular) welterweight title. Pacquiao dropped Matthysse a total of 3 times before the fight was stopped. The knockdowns occurred in rounds 3, 5 and 7. In round 5, Matthysse took a knee. The final knockdown was from a left hook following a combination. Referee Kenny Bayless began the count, stopping the fight at 2 minutes and 43 seconds after Matthysse spat out his mouthpiece. At the time of the stoppage, all three judges had the bout 59–53 in favor of Pacquiao. Speaking about the game plan, Pacquiao said, "Matthysse has the power, so hands up all the time and do my best. I'm surprised because Matthysse is a very tough opponent and I knocked him down. I was focused and patient in the fight, and I worked hard in training. We did a good job in training. We were pushing hard." Matthysse had no excuses, stating he lost to "a great fighter and a great champion." At the post-fight press conference, Pacquiao confirmed he would continue boxing.^[243][244] According to Compubox, Pacquiao landed 95 of 344 punches thrown (28%), this included a 44% connect rate on his power punches. Matthysse landed 57 of his 246 thrown (23%), only landing in double figures in round 6.^[245] On August 2, Matthysse announced his retirement from professional boxing at the age of 35.^[246]

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