Legendary trainer Abel Sanchez has had his say on the upcoming showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios.
After a four year hiatus, Pacquiao will make a sensational return to the ring when he challenges Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
‘Pac-Man’ has not fought as a professional since he was beaten by former WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas back in 2021, but the 46-year-old has participated in two exhibition bouts since then, facing DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
In an interview with Boxing News, former Gennady Golovkin trainer Sanchez gave an honest assessment of Pacquiao’s shock return to the ring, claiming that although he is slightly concerned for the 46-year-old, he believes that he has a chance to defy the odds and defeat Barrios next month.
“You know it’s difficult for us as coaches to tell them to hang them up. He’s older, he’s been out of the ring, he’s fighting I’m not gonna say a young champion but he’s fighting a very decent champion, probably the lesser of the three welterweight champions but he is getting up in age, will he be able to recapture some of that speed and snap to his punches?
“Who knows, but George Foreman did it at a much, much later age so Manny has a chance, I think that he has a chance against a good champion.”
Should Pacquiao be victorious over Barrios, it would see the 46-year-old set the record of becoming the oldest welterweight champion of all time, breaking the record he actually achieved himself back in 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman to capture the WBA welterweight title at 40-years-old.
