PacMan’s return has taken the boxing world by storm. Four years after he fought and lost his 72nd bout, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, an all-time great, will return on July 19 to face reigning welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios. With WBC waving the green flag, Manny Pacquiao, now fifth in the sanctioning body’s top-15 rankings, will stake a fresh claim to a championship in Las Vegas. Needless to say, not all have been enthused by the 46-year-old living legend’s comeback.

Last year, Pacquiao fought an exhibition against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo, and it wasn’t pleasant to watch the former world champion struggle. Though not a top-rate fighter, Mario Barrios is not a pushover either. Perhaps people close to Pacquiao understand the odds they are facing. Speaking with sports reporter Elie Seckbach, Pacman’s longtime strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune shed some light on the changes they might incorporate to prepare for the Barrios fight.

Manny Pacquiao: Readjustments for greatness

To begin with, Fortune, who once fought Lennox Lewis, seemed certain – don’t count Manny Pacquiao out. “Everyone’s counting Pacquiao out because of his age; it’s like a bunch of haters, man. He still has tons of power, tons of speed, and a shitload of experience,” he emphasized. It won’t surprise him at all if his pupil, whose corner he manned for nearly 60 fights, wins. So when Seckbach asked, “So what’s your preparation for the camp that’s kicking off any day now?” Fortune replied, “When he gets in, it’s a different sort of training now. You’re taking account of your age, and it’s more specific sort of things to do.”

In the boxing world, Manny Pacquiao is renowned as a workhorse. However, the team will now have to tweak his training. The in-between rest duration will increase. Giovanni Cabrera, who suffered a third-round KO loss to William Zepeda last July, was nearby. He recalled how sparring with Pacquiao had been a ‘surreal experience’ and that he was just ‘trying to survive.’

For diehard Pacquiao fans, it’s good news. Their icon is fine-tuning himself according to the upcoming challenge.

Things going for and against his comeback

But a few still remain skeptical. Even for someone like Manny Pacquiao, it’s a tall order, fighting an opponent sixteen years younger. His last fight, against Yordenis Ugas, ended in a loss. Ring Magazine’s 2024 ‘Trainer of the Year’ award recipient, Robert Garcia, whose fighters Brandon Rios and Antonio Margarito once faced Pacquiao, said, “Barrios may be the easiest of the champions, but Manny didn’t look too good last time out. I hope he gets in great shape.”

According to Garcia, Barrios, who turns thirty tomorrow, can potentially hurt Pacquiao. If that happens, that will be altogether embarrassing, not only for Pacquiao but perhaps for the sport as well. However, some find a silver lining in the fact that Barrios is not a fighter in the class of Jaron Ennis or even Brian Norman Jr.

His last fight against Abel Ramos, on the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson card, ended in a split decision. Given the fact that he received his title out of the ring, when the previous incumbent, Terence Crawford, moved up a division, raises further eyebrows. So if at age 45, George Foreman could knock out Michael Moorer and become the oldest heavyweight champion in history, then is it wise to rule out Pacquiao?

What about you? Do you think Manny Pacquiao will suffer a humiliating loss from Mario Barrios?