FILE — Manny Pacquiao and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune. Photos by Wendell Alinea/MP Promotions
LAS VEGAS—There’s a possibility that Saturday’s WBC world welterweight title fight doesn’t go the distance.
And Justine Fortune, Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, gladly explained why it is the Filipino ring icon who would be walking away with a KO victory.
Pacquiao comes out of retirement for a stab at a ninth world title at MGM Grand here against defending champion Mario Barrios, whom Fortune practically described as someone way out of the league of the Filipino superstar.
“Barrios is not a big puncher and Pacquiao is ridiculously strong,” Fortune said on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon at Knuckleheads Boxing Gym, where Pacquiao went right back to work less than 24 hours after arriving at the entertainment capital.
Barrios’ record may say otherwise, as 18 of his 29 wins were by stoppage or knockouts, though those victories came against relatively unknown competition.
Fortune also said that Barrios’ defense isn’t his strong suit either, describing Barrios as an easy target for Pacquiao as the Mexican fights with a “very basic” style.
“We can find a hundred Barrioses whose style is very basic, but there’s only one Manny Pacquiao,” Fortune said.
In his last bout eight months ago, Barrios tasted the canvas against an unheralded opponent in Abel Ramos, who connected on an overhand right in the sixth round that nearly ended the fight.
Barrios was also wobbled several times throughout the fight and barely held on to his title after settling for a split draw.
But that doesn’t mean Barrios should be taken lightly.
“Mario Barrios is a world champion and world champions are tough to knock out,” Fortune said. “But I don’t see the fight going the distance.”
Pacquiao hasn’t stopped an opponent since 2018 when he scored a TKO win over Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’s also been six years since he knocked down an opponent, but he did it against a previously unbeaten Keith Thurman.
At 46 years old, it would be even tougher for Pacquiao to knock out a 30-year-old Barrios, who is in his physical prime.
But who knows?
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“Manny’s generation and the generation before are real fighters. Fighters today are afraid to get hit and punch (at the same time),” Fortune went on. “Mario Barrios has never been hit by a Manny Pacquiao.”