Could it be that reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios is tight at the weight, if only just a little? And if so, could this help Manny Pacquiao when he bids to make history by taking Barrios’s belt on July 19? Barrios, who really is big for the 147 pound division, has spoken about making the move up to 154 pounds. And although Barrios says he still makes the welterweight limit comfortably, he feels he will be moving up sooner rather than later.
And of course, IF Barrios is struggling to get down to 147 for his date with Pac-Man, he wouldn’t tell us, would he? Pacquiao needs all the help he can get as far as winning the fight next month, this at the age of 46, and maybe IF Barrios does deplete himself making weight it will give Manny a little bit of an advantage. Maybe.
Barrios admits move up “only a matter of time”
Barrios, though, says that for now he will listen to his body and that he will make the move up in weight when he knows it’s time to do so.
“It’s only a matter of time until I make that move up,” Barrios said to Mainevent. “Right now, I have my eyes set on the welterweight division. I’m still making the weight comfortably but as soon as that time hits and it’s too much for my body, we’re gonna make the move up.”
Weigh-in watch—will Barrios crack at 147?
It will be interesting to see how the official weigh-in goes ahead of the July 19 fight in Las Vegas. Pacquiao fans may well be hoping Barrios does have a tough time making the 147 pound limit. Again, any thoughts of Barrios struggling to make weight might be clutching at straws as far as looking for a possible Pacquiao advantage in the fight. But, as it’s the same whenever a fighter starts to even talk about retirement, some alarm bells can ring. The same as whenever a fighter starts to talk about looking at moving up in weight.
Time will tell, and maybe Barrios will make weight easily enough for the Pacquiao fight. But Pacquiao’s fans will be looking for any possible edge that might go in their hero’s favour.
We’ve seen plenty of footage of Manny in training for the fight next month, and he really does look to be in great shape, and not only for a 46 year old. How might Barrios’ training be going, and is he looking as sharp and as superbly conditioned as his challenger?
