MANILA – WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios is gearing up for the biggest challenge of his career – defending his crown against eight division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao this weekend in Las Vegas.
The 30-year-old Mexican-American fighter said he does not want to take Pacquiao’s age of 46 or his ring absence of nearly four years in preparing for the world title clash.
“I am training as if I’m fighting a prime Pacquiao,” Barrios said in an exclusive interview with DWAR Abante Radyo’s Jesus Valdez. “I’m still expecting a very dangerous Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao hasn’t fought since his 2021 loss to Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugás, but Barrios doesn’t believe the time off from professional boxing has dulled the Filipino ring icon’s skills.
“And I think for a lot of people, taking time away from boxing, it can do something, like ring rust, it might have a negative effect. But I think in this case, Pacquiao is going to come back very rested,” Barrios said.
“He has said it himself, he gave his body at times to reset, especially at his age. So, yeah, I am expecting, like I said, I’m expecting a sharp, a fast, a very explosive Manny Pacquiao,” he added.
The San Antonio native emphasized that his training camp has been built around the idea of facing the best version of Pacquiao—the one who won titles against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Eric Morales.
“I think we’re going to be ready for whatever Manny brings on fight night,” Barrios said.
Barrios is entering the ring with a 29-2-1 win-loss-draw ring record, including 18 victories by way of stoppages, while Pacquiao has a 62-8-2 mark, including 39 knockout wins./PN
