By Nick Giongco

Manny Pacquiao would rather meet Lucas Matthysse of Argentina when he makes his comeback fight. “I want Matthysse,” Pacquiao told Fightnews.com® during a break in his Senate duties Tuesday afternoon.

Matthysse crowned himself as the new WBA welterweight king after knocking out Thailand’s Tewa Kiram in Los Angeles.

Citing Matthysse’s willingness to trade power punches at close range, Pacquiao swears a matchup with the Argentine puncher has all the trappings of a slugfest.

“This is the fight that I like…a fight fans would also like to see,” Pacquiao, 39, said. “I can fight in April or even May.”

Pacquiao dropped a disputable decision to Jeff Horn last year in Brisbane.

Following Matthysse’s title win, the 35-year-old declared that he is eyeing a crack at Pacquiao.

Matthysse is under contract with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions while Pacquiao is with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., who is targeting a Pacquiao appearance at New York’s Madison Square Garden on April 14.