You know it’s a big fight, or a much talked about fight, when all-time great Sugar Ray Leonard is asked his opinion on what will happen when the fight unfolds. Arguably the most talked about fight right now is the upcoming July bout between WBC welterweight champ Mario Barrios and living legend Manny Pacquiao.
Most people seem to dislike the fight, with fans along with boxing experts worrying for Pacquiao’s health due to him coming back at age 46, this after four years of inactivity. But Leonard – who of course knows all about being able to come back and shock the odds; with Leonard’s brilliant upset win over Marvelous Marvin Hagler still being a fight the fans celebrate – says “maybe Pacquiao can do it.”
Leonard says it’s more psychological than physical
Speaking with Fight Hub TV, 69 year old Sugar Ray said that Pacquiao will have to “get used to being hit” as he prepares for the July fight in Las Vegas.
“When I came back (against Hagler), I didn’t realize it was five years I’d been out,” Leonard said. “You’ve got to get used to being hit. You got to get used to being trained that hard at that level. It’s more psychological than it is physical. You have to have that heart, that feeling. And you know what? Do I question it? No. Maybe he can do it. Maybe he knows the right thing to do. It’s just the way you feel. We don’t think how foolish it is. Fighters don’t think that way for the most part.”
Big difference: 46 isn’t 30, and this comeback smells like cash
Two big differences between Leonard’s successful comeback against Hagler and Pacquiao’s upcoming return against Barrios, are age and money. Leonard was only 30 when he came back to defeat Hagler, and he wasn’t coming back primarily for the money. We have heard the stories that say Manny is broke and that this is why he has been forced to return to the ring; this after a costly and unsuccessful presidential bid.
And 46 is a heck of a lot older than 30. But as Leonard says, maybe Pacquiao can do it. Pacquiao is going for history, and Sugar Ray for one is not counting him out.
