At 46, Manny Pacquiao is set to face an opponent more than 15 years younger and seemingly in the prime of his career. While some view this comeback as a reckless gamble, others call it unrealistic. Oscar De La Hoya, however, sees real potential. Despite suffering a career-defining loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2008, a defeat that led to his own retirement, De La Hoya has been a vocal supporter of Manny Pacquiao’s return and continues to back him even now.
Just a few hours ago, Elie Seckbach of ESNews shared a candid video on YouTube titled “Oscar de la hoya why manny pacquiao beats mario barrios breaks it down.” In the clip, Oscar De La Hoya openly reveals the sole reason he believes Manny Pacquiao will secure an easy victory against Mario Barrios on July 19 in MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. “I have [Manny] Pacquiao because of his footwork,” the Golden Boy Promotions founder said. Why so?
May 7, 2022, Singapore, Singapore, Singapore: Presidential candidate Senator MANNY PACQUIAO on stage during his final campaign rally in General Santos City, Philippines, May 7 2022. Singapore Singapore – ZUMAa247 20220507_zip_a247_102 Copyright: xMaverickxAsiox
“Those calves that he has, are incredible. Amazing. And when he jumps on his toes and he confuses you and he throws punches from different angles and he’s coming from left, right, forward, backward. Pacquiao doesn’t get tired. I don’t care. He is 50,000 years old. He’s not going to get tired. He is a machine. I think the workload is too much for Mario Barrios,” De La Hoya added. And this brings back memories of Pacquiao’s breakout performance in 2003, when he was called in to face Marco Antonio Barrera.
At the time, Manny Pacquiao was a relatively unknown up-and-comer, while Barrera was widely regarded as a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter. Analysts expected Barrera to cruise to victory. Instead, Manny Pacquiao delivered a masterclass, dominating for 11 rounds before the stoppage, handing Barrera the only knockout loss of his career. With speed, footwork, and power, the 62-8 boxer shocked the world then. But, the question is, can he do it again?
Tyson Fury’s 5-word take on Manny Pacquiao
Just hours ago, Tyson Fury took to his Instagram story to weigh in on the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight. “What a legend at 40!” he wrote. Five plain and simple words that perfectly captured what Manny Pacquiao represents to him and millions of fans worldwide. Fury was reacting to a recent post featuring Pacquiao’s media workout, where the Filipino icon was seen circling trainer Buboy Fernandez, hitting pads with sharp 1-2 combinations, slipping punches, and mixing in variations, just like the old days.
However, not everyone shares Fury’s confidence. A few days earlier, Amir Tyson, son of heavyweight legend Mike Tyson, expressed his concerns about PacMan stepping back into the ring at this stage of his life. “I really hope Manny holds his own and doesn’t get hurt,” he admitted. “If this was 2012, I would have no doubt he would win. But now I’m not sure, but we shall see.”
Ever since Manny Pacquiao’s comeback was confirmed, a familiar narrative has taken hold, one that echoes what we saw when Mike Tyson returned to the ring last year in November against Jake Paul. With less than a month left before fight night, questions continue to swirl: Does Manny Pacquiao still possess the speed, power, and ring IQ that once made him a generational great? What do you think?
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