To the dismay of many, in just a few weeks, recent boxing Hall of Fame inductee and living legend Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KO’s) is coming out of a near 4-year retirement, returning to the ring to challenge Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KO’s) for his WBC welterweight belt on July 19th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The announcement of this fight has stirred quite the controversy. Critics question why an inactive fighter like Manny is being given an immediate title shot. Fellow fighters and commentators of the sport have expressed concern for his safety due to his age, while many fans are citing possible money concerns as the reason for his decision to return.
A Pure Heart
He after all is not known for his exceptional financial management skills, more so for his pure heart. He oftentimes gives large sums of his money away to the Filipino community, donates to charity, and self-financed his political career, albeit a failed one. It is unclear if he is truly in financial need or is simply in search of continued legacy, in which if you were to ask him, it is the latter.
“I’m coming back because it’s my passion,” Pacquiao said at a recent press conference in Las Vegas. “I’ve been gone for four years but I always think about boxing. I really missed it.”
A Step Slower
Pacquiao at his ripe old age of 46 is not the explosive, high volume fighter he once was. His last showing during a three round exhibition match against Rukiya Anpo was a clear demonstration he is a man of his age. He looked slow and sluggish, despite occasional bursts of leaping punches reminiscent of his prime. He also ate one too many clean shots from what is obviously shot reflexes and legs that are not what they once were. Gone are the days of multiple fighters he faced citing his speed among other attributes as the reason for their loss.
Oscar De La Hoya
“My style is to go forward but he was boxing on his toes all night and waiting for me to make my mistakes.”
– Post-fight interview after Pacquiao dominated him, and he quit in the corner after the 8th round in 2008
Miguel Cotto
“He jabs and throws. It makes a lot of difference, because I didn’t see where the punch was coming from. It came to me, and I didn’t protect myself from the punches.”
– Post-fight interview ater his TKO loss to Pacquiao in 2009
Brandon Rios
“I was never stunned, never hurt… What got me was just the speed and the awkwardness. I haven’t fought a southpaw in a long, long time… The speed was the factor in this fight. He’s faster than I thought he was. Motherfucker’s fast.”
– Post-fight interview after a one sided beat down and blocking with his face against Pacquiao in 2013
Keith Thurman
“He was fast, he was strong. The short steps — everything that Manny Pacquiao always has been, he has a lot of it still left in him.”
– Post-fight press conference after a competitive fight with Pacquiao in 2019
A Masterclass
The fight against Thurman was just six years ago, not fairly recent but not far too distant either, and it was a fight that shook the boxing world to the core with exhilaration. A pure masterclass in boxing despite its competitiveness in where Pacquiao frequently overwhelmed Thurman with his speed, awkwardness and volume. Manny was considered the underdog by many due to his age of 40 at the time, and his fight to lose to a much younger and hard-hitting Thurman. It was a fight where the doubters were not only silenced but left in disbelief that despite his age Pacquiao still had it in him against a champion a decade younger than him.
Can History Repeat Itself
Will Manny, six years later turn back the clock and repeat history, or does lighting never strike twice for an old man? At the bare minimum can he beat Barrios who is 17 years his junior, convincingly? zero expectation for a masterclass again aside, given his last official fight and loss against yordenis ugas in 2021 left a lot to be desired, to say the least.
A Beatable Champion
Barrios is no slouch but the common consensus among avid fans of the sport is that he is a B- level champion. He was stopped by Gervonta Davis who moved up in weight to face him, lost to Keith Thurman who hadn’t fought in two years before their bout, and many fans believe he lost clearly most recently to Abel Ramos, despite the split decision draw. He is what you could consider a prime candidate for a legend that once was to recapture the fire and earn a title at 46 years old, if so, effectively making Pacquiao the first fighter post Hall of Fame induction to win a title. This would be his 13th world title in an illustrious career that has spanned multiple decades in eight different weight classes.
But Still a Threat
Yet as compelling as the potential narrative sounds, boxing is an unforgiving sport that spares no one, not even legends as we’ve seen time and time again. Barrios may not be elite but he’s an aggressive fighter who’s not going to simply hand over his belt out of respect either, he intends to fight.
“Manny’s still Manny. He’s a legend for a reason… I’m preparing as if I’m fighting a prime Manny… that’s the main [game plan]: go in there and not let him get his rhythm going. I’m not going to take rounds off”
A Risk Too Far?
Overall this is a dangerous fight for Pacquiao and there continues to be outrage for its sanctioning. He has defied the odds his entire life but as boxing purists love to say “ father time is undefeated” will we witness glory from the legend Pacquiao once more? Or will it be a heartbreaking farewell, one we’ve seen all too often?