By: Sean Crose
Everybody loves a comeback story – as long as the comeback is profitable. Sadly within the sport of boxing notable comebacks typically don’t finish nicely (until your identify is George Foreman or Ray Leonard). Manny Pacquiao intends to beat the chances, nevertheless, when he faces Mario Barrios tomorrow evening in Las Vegas for Barrio’s WBC welterweight title. Barrios is the apparent favourite strolling into this one – and why wouldn’t he be? For starters the 29-2-1 defending champion is over 15 years youthful than Pacquiao. That’s 15 – as in a decade and a half. Barrios additionally has a 4-plus inch top benefit.
That is Manny Pacquiao we’re discussing right here, nevertheless. Manny Pacquiao. The eight division world champion who buzzsawed by way of opponents with a ferocity that Roberto Duran and Arron Pryor would possibly discover intimidating. There’s additionally the truth that – for what it’s price – Pacquiao has seemed sharp in coaching camp. Watching him run up Griffith Park or grinding at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Health club brings again emotions of the Pacquiao of outdated. This isn’t the Pacquiao of outdated, nevertheless. That is the Pacquiao of 2025. As a way to view Saturday’s combat realistically, one must recall Pacquiao’s final combat when Yordenis Ugas, one other (considerably) youthful, taller man held the legendary PacMan at bay for 12 rounds. What’s to say Pacquiao will look any higher 4 years later?
The reality is that nice fighters rise to the event and Pacquiao has been among the many biggest of a era. Nonetheless, it’s a fairly tall order to count on the person to tug off the win on this weekend’s pay per view occasion. These anticipating the Manny of the 2000s and even 2010s could be higher off watching a few of his biggest wins on YouTube. That fighter is gone endlessly, regardless of how good Pacquiao seems within the health club or whereas doing roadwork. The Corridor of Famer could have his moments Saturday – there could even be some flashes of the outdated days, when Pacquiao’s blinding quick mixtures and actions merely overwhelmed his opponents regularly. But can anybody count on Pacquiao to go at that tempo constantly as he heads in the direction of 50 years of age?
The underside line is that this Pacquiao received’t have the velocity and spectacular endurance he as soon as did. If he does certainly shock the world on Saturday, nevertheless, there received’t be a happier fan to be discovered than yours really. Once more, everybody loves a comeback story – as long as the comeback is profitable.
Barrios by unanimous resolution.
