Mega-Manny Looks 29, Not 46 – But Training Is One Thing, The Fight Is Another
It won’t be too long at all now until we will have the safe, comfortable privilege of watching and finding out whether or not living legend Manny Pacquiao made the right decision, or the very, very dangerous decision, to come back to challenge WBC welterweight champ Mario Barrios.
Fighters, all of them, no matter their age or list of previous achievements, risk so, so much each and every time they set foot into the ring. Pacquiao, who has perhaps achieved more than any other fighter in boxing history, certainly in terms of world titles won at different weights – a staggering, almost unbelievable eight, count ’em, eight belts won across the divisions for Manny – now has a lot to lose. Pac-Man’s health is at the top of the list when it comes to those people who are more concerned than others are as the July 19 fight creeps ever closer.
Is This Pacquiao’s Last Hurrah or Another Chapter in Boxing Folklore?
But let’s put to bed the negative talk for a while: can Manny actually do it, and make yet more boxing history in Las Vegas on Saturday night? Pac-Man, who looks years younger than his actual number of birthdays, has looked absolutely sensational in training. Over the course of 52 days and counting of training, Pacquiao has put it all in, and he has left those following his progress (shout out to ES News who have followed Manny’s full training camp, this since day-one) in awe.
Sparring? A ton of it, with each sparring partner left saying “good look, bro,” to Barrios. Roadwork? Miles of it, with Manny again leaving younger, fresher fighters in his wake. Strength and conditioning work? Also yes, and Pac-Man’s body looks almost exactly the same as it did a decade or more ago. I could go on.
Can Training Camp Magic Survive the Harsh Reality of Fight Night?
You get it: Manny looks great, he has trained great, and he feels great. And each and every person in his training camp is of the full belief that he will get the win on Saturday. But will he? Pacquiao might find out that looking and feeling great in training can equal almost nothing compared to what happens in the actual fight. No, this Pacquiao image, where he does, to repeat, look like a man numerous years younger than his actual self, is no Muhammad Ali-type mirage, the one “The Greatest” fooled so many people with as he approached his ill-fated comeback fight with Larry Holmes. But can Manny fight anything like as well, as ferociously as he once did?
Pac-Man has seemingly done all he can, this in terms of pre-fight prep, to get the win. Now the Filipino legend has to fight as beautifully as his ripped body really does look in the photos we have seen. Manny will give his all in the ring the same way he has done in training camp. But Father Time can be the toughest son of a, you know what, to defeat.
No matter how great a fighter looks and feels.
Aside from who you think wins on Saturday, who will you be rooting for on the night?
