Why Manny Pacquiao believes that, even at 46, an upset could be brewing against Mario Barrios on Saturday

While the pre-combat documentary cameras for “GLOVES OFF” of Prime Video followed Manny PACQUIAO in Las Vegas at the end of May while it was walking in the corridors of the MGM Grand on the way to the press conference announcing the return of this weekend in boxing after almost five years, the live legend of 46 years could be heard of the choir of a familiar air.

“Forever young!” Pacquiao sang. “I want to be … forever young!”

The song in question, a hymn of Synth-Pop in 1984 of the German group Alphaville, could be considered as a mantra fueled by pious wishes for Pacquiao, which was also heard singing it throughout the training camp on its return to the familiar trampling grounds of the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles and the tutelage of the Hall of Fame Freddie.

Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KB), the Philippine icon and champion of eight divisions which was inducted at the International Boxing Temple last month, recovers the old group before Saturday when he left retirement and jumps directly into the WBC champion.8 p.m. he, Video PPV bonus).

However, while the “Gloves Off” cameras went from Pacquiao singing “Forever Young” to the video of hitting him pads inside the gymnasium, the microphones picked up the “pacman” trying to motivate himself quietly with another Mantra, in a way. “”

Whether they look in person at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where Pacquiao is ready to overshadow Floyd Mayweather for most of the time to fight in the legendary boxing site, or to look at home on PPV, the fans will probably come back to remind us exactly the days, we will rejoice every day to simplify, we are without fear.

“The reason I came back in boxing is that I realized that I could still fight,” said Pacquiao, while looking out the window of his Las Vegas High Hood window. “I always have this passion, I always have this speed. I am blessed by God. I feel happiness in my heart that I can come back here for a fight in Vegas. That’s good, that’s what I want.

“This victory is very important because it is a very good inspiration for young children, not only for boxers but also for people who have dreams. Even if I am 46 years old, if you always dream in your life, you can do it.”

But is it really so simple? Or Pacquiao, by clinging to the disproportionate dreams and ambition which made him pass from poverty to adolescence selling cigarettes stolen in the streets of General Santos City to the Philippines to a life of celebrities and influence as a global familiar name, made the same serious error as many legendary champions before making him too much time for a young man Consequences of saying who could be too well known?

On the one hand, returning to an active champion to his peak is an idea at 46 years which is simply ridiculous.

Even if Pacquiao shocked Le Monde in 2019 By becoming an unlikely finalist for Fighter of the Year at 40 by putting Keith Thurman back on his first professional defeat to become the oldest Welter weight champion in history, he returned two years later against Yordenis Ugas, a late substitute for the Errol Spence Jr., and looked like a shell of himself in a competitive decision.

Then, after having received only six percent of the votes to seriously lose a presidential election in 2022 in his native country, Pacquiao returned to boxing last summer in a poorly informed exhibition at 160 pounds against Rukiya Anpo who saw a kick visibly outside the sheltered to keep the 28 -year -old ankleman.

But on the other hand, we are talking about Manny Pacquaio, a fighter who became pro the same year as Barrios was born and went from 108 pounds to win a world title to 154 while carrying his power with him throughout the way.

“Listen, if we were talking about someone else apart from Manny Pacquaio, we will say that there is a slim chance to nothing that he is competitive,” said Sports on Monday on Monday. “But Manny Pacquiao is something special, he is something different. He is one of them; there has never been [another] Manny Pacquiao and there will never be [another] Manny Pacquiao. You have this idea, in a way in a nostalgic way, that if someone can do it, it’s probably Manny Pacquiao.

“How much I think it’s realistic? I don’t know. We have a lot of questions.”

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During the fighter meetings on Monday, Pacquiao spoke for a long time of the quantity of his body and the mind needed the four -year break after starting the training in boxing at the age of 11, becoming pro at 16 in 1995, then not having a full calendar year to fight until 2020. And even when it comes to his flat performance against Ugas in 2021, the same fighter Having beaten in 2023, Pacquiao had a ready alibif.

“The Ugas Yordenis fight was the worst cramp in my entire career,” said Pacquiao. “After three laps, it was so tight that I couldn’t move them. I felt like I didn’t have legs.”

Although all this may look like an excuse, the second half of Pacquiao’s career has been overwhelmed by distractions surrounding the time and the energy he put in his two other loves: politics and philanthropy.

Pacquiao did not seem to be in the form of a super elite when he lost an exhausting decision and disputed in 2017 against Jeff Horn in Australia to return in the years that followed and seemed to be reborn against Lucas Matthysse, Adrien Broner and Thurman. Could we say as much about the construction of the UGA fight, in which Pacquiao was discreetly criticized to be returned to boxing after only two years to stimulate advertising for its next presidential campaign?

What is crazy about the return of Pacquiao at 46 is that a lot of boxing believes that he is entirely capable of drawing the upheaval, especially if he leaves no stone not returned and returns in the kind of shape he was when he fought Thurman. A large part of that surrounding the fact that Barrios, originally from San Antonio, is considered to be a battable champion who has produced many performances from top to bottom as an elite fighter (including defeats at PPV against Thurman and Gervonta “Tank” Davis).

“If I chose this fight against Manny 10 years ago, I think Barrios is tailor -made,” said Algieri. “He fights heavy on this front foot, he does not vary enough. He is very committed and he is there to be struck with this right right right and we have seen him in his fights in the past. But we are not talking about the first Manny Pacquiao, we are talking about Manny Pacquaio at 46.

“”[Barrios] At 30 and in the physical bonus of his life. He is a solid guy who came a lot in terms of weight categories, but he wore his power. He marks a lot of kicks as a welter weight. He is able to catch guys and he is a very sharp punker. It is long and tall, and I think he is the biggest opponent that Manny Pacquiao has ever fought. He has a good blow and a very good left hook, especially in the body. He likes contact and is a real Mexican warrior. “”

Barrios has not fought since his defense of his title against the companion Abel Ramos in a draw last November on the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Undercard on Netflix. It was a performance that was considered a disappointment for Barrios.

“It was not my favorite performance that I had,” said Barrios. “There were a lot of different things that continued with this training camp. Perhaps Manny and his team saw a weakness. Just after this fight, we have received the call. I think they saw a very winged style and that’s why we are at the moment. I don’t know if it was a compliment or an insult that Pac wanted this fight.

Barrios said he expects Pacquiao to be difficult early, but that he thinks that young people will be served during the second half. And if the opening was there, Barrios said quickly: “It’s me or him, whatever the age … if I injured him at some point, I will not hesitate.”

With a historically strong chin and power is generally the last thing to do, Pacquiao could be well equipped to stay competitive with the barrios, but only if its fuel tank at this age holds. Algieri underlined the first step and the incredibly rapid capacity of Pacquiao to fill the gap largely of this upset potential, not to mention the ease with which he makes adjustments on the fly.

“”[Pacquiao’s] Awareness in the ring was at the higher level, “said Algieri.” Manny Pacquiao was able to adapt better than anyone with whom I am in the ring and it is the thing that gives me a little hope that this guy could probably do it because he has adjusted because his career has changed. The guys who stay in the game must do so. Look at Bernard Hopkins. The same guy he was fighting because in his forties was not the same guy who was fighting in their twenties and thirties. As you get older, you have seen boxing IQs, more feining, more adjustments and more generals from Ring and Manny Pacquiao has in its toolbox.

“If Manny always has this first step, if he can always draw one of these rights left in the middle, we have fought. But if we see it falling with a balance, becoming square and having slower feet, it will be a very long night.”

If Pacquiao suppresses the upheaval, he will join Hopkins, George Foreman and Archie Moore as boxers who took their grandeur of the championship in his forties. But if you ask Pacquiao how he could do it, a childish smile and sparkle in his eyes have come back to the concept “forever” that he has been trying to speak of existence for months.

“Power, speed are always there, fire in my eyes. I can say:” I’m back “,” said Pacquiao. “Manny Pacquiao is [full of] surprises. Since I started here in America, I have always brought surprises. All these fights, I like to make surprises. I was already a professional boxer at birth, but the fact is that my boxing time is not yet finished. “”

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