By: Sean Crose
It’s good to be a legendary fighter. Manny Pacquiao, the long-lasting former eight division champion, has been ranked the quantity 5 welterweight on the earth by the World Boxing Council. The doubtless cause? That Pacquiao might be popping out of retirement to face present WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios July nineteenth in Las Vegas. Though there supposedly gained’t be an official press convention till the twentieth of this month, Pacquiao’s talked about return was made extra doubtless not solely by the WBC’s ruling but in addition by the truth that Pacquiao just lately misplaced an election in his Philippian homeland.
WBC honcho Mauricio Sulaiman has said the next on social media: “Keep in mind @SugarRayLeonard ? My father Jose Sulaiman and the WBC have been criticized for making his combat vs Hagler @MannyPacquiao has been licensed by Nevada and handed all medicals and as legendary WBC champion has been permitted to combat by our group Let’s speak July 20.” If this combat does certainly occur, count on all of the stops to be pulled out. Though Pacquiao is at present 46 years of age and his final combat was a unanimous determination defeat on the gloved fists of Yordenis Ugas again in late summer season 2021, his identify nonetheless brings in consideration and {dollars}.
And why wouldn’t it? Not solely was Pacquiao one of the vital well-known and widespread athletes on the earth for near a decade, he was a unprecedented fighter. An explosively aggressive pugilist with boundless vitality, Pacquiao had a hoop model that thrilled boxing followers and even those that have been usually disinterested within the candy science. His 2015 superfight with Floyd Mayweather broke viewership and incomes data. And though he misplaced that combat, Pacquiao continued to be one of the vital widespread figures within the sport. His 2019 victory of Keith Thurman was a late profession hallmark second.
The combat with Thurman went down shut to 6 years in the past, nonetheless. Pacquiao was getting old then. How a lot older will he appear ought to he resolve to undergo with a bout with Barrios this summer season? Though the expert Barrios isn’t thought-about to be among the many higher echelon of latest fighters, he’ll nonetheless be a full sixteen years youthful than Pacquiao if the 2 males do certainly throw down. What’s extra, Barrios has solely misplaced to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman, two excessive stage fighters who have been a lot youthful after they confronted Barrios than Pacquiao may hope to be. Nonetheless, that is Pacquiao, we’re speaking about. In a sport the place nobody may be counted out, it’s smart to keep away from scripting this man off specifically – irrespective of how near fifty he now’s.
Right here’s hoping nobody will get harm ought to this combat really go down.
