Manny Pacquiao’s Coach Delivers Honest Verdict on Boxing Return at 46

“At this time, Mario Barrios is going to face Manny Pacquiao in July. That’s a tremendous fight,” the WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said. And just like that, Manny Pacquiao is all set to make his boxing return four years after bidding farewell to the sport. Rumors of the 46-year-old’s return in the ring have been circulating since last year when the Filipino fought in an exhibition boxing match against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo. Now 46, and having won world titles across eight weight divisions, Pacquiao’s legacy and versatility are unquestionable—but can he still go toe-to-toe with a reigning world champion nearly two decades younger? Pacquiao’s coach has finally weighed in with an honest take on what fans can expect this July.

Just a month before his fight on July 19, the 12-time World Champion is all set for his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. But before that, Pacquiao had been warned about his return to the ring. Amir Khan, a former British boxer who was once linked to fight Manny, has also seemed to give his verdict on the fight.

“I think it will be a fantastic fight but if I was to advise Manny I wouldn’t say to come back… At the end of the day, he’s been out of the ring for a long time and has he still got the fire in his belly?“ Khan remains doubtful about the Filipino legend’s comeback. However, Pacquiao’s coach, Justin Fortune, who has trained the 46-year-old for nearly 60 championships, does not believe in the same sentiment.

Eli Seckbach of ES NEWS caught up with Fortune and lightweight fighter Giovanni Cabrera during downtime. He asked, “What do you guys think of him (Pacquiao) and Barrios? ESPN says it’s official.” Fortune had no doubts. To him, Manny Pacquiao’s most famous attributes, power and speed, were still intact. “Manny has to just beat Manny. Um, you know, you can’t beat Pacquiao’s experience, where he’s got 86 fights in his life,” Fortune said.

Acknowledging Barrios’ stature as a world champion, Fortune admitted, “Yeah, it’s a good fight.” He also pointed out that Barrios shared Cabrera’s height, which is around 5’9″. But in the same breath, he added. “Pacquiao’s still strong, fast, and very experienced.”

Giovanni Cabrera made his pitch: “Yeah, I mean, most orthodox fighters, it doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are, it’s all about the angle. When Manny Pacquiao slips and pops that left hand, deal with that, deal with that…. If George Foreman did it, then Pacquiao can do it.” Though he’s already one of the greatest, both Fortune and Cabrera agreed that a win over Barrios, who defeated Yordenis Ugas, would ‘solidify‘ Pacquiao’s status in the sport’s history.

They would rather see him challenge Teofimo Lopez afterwards. Reportedly, Rolando Romero has also expressed interest in fighting Pacquiao. But the Fortune-Cabrera combine had no doubts: “It doesn’t matter; none of those guys can beat Manny.”

Top Comment by Danny

Beat Barrios , That’s a long shot

Share your take

Debate

But keep an eye on the champion!

However, the optimism is not so prevalent either. Former world champion Amir Khan had sparred with Mario Barrios. His advice to the PacMan: be careful. Firstly, Barrios is young. He’s just a week short of turning thirty. While he found the Pacquiao-Barrios matchup intriguing, he warned, “When me and Virgil [Hunter] were training together, I used to spar with him (Barrios) quite a lot. He’s a very good boxer. I don’t know how much Manny’s got left in him. If they were in their prime, in their peak, then I’d say all day Manny Pacquiao. But this could be a tricky fight for Pacquiao.”

To a few, Mario Barrios is an e-mail champion. He received the welterweight title after Terence Crawford decided to move up a division. His first title defense, against Abel Ramos on the Tyson-Paul card, was a tightly contested affair. But the fact remains: it’s been four years since Manny Pacquiao stepped into the professional ring. His exhibition fight against Rukiya Anpo wasn’t a pleasant sight. So it remains to be seen how the boxing great would be able to turn the table in July.

What’s your take? Do you think Pacquiao should stay retired?