Mario Barrios Vows To Make 46-Year-Old Manny Pacquiao Regret Comeback

Mario Barrios predicts that Pacquiao’s advanced age will cause him to tire the longer their fight goes on Saturday night. WBC welterweight champion Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) predicts that Pacquiao, 46, will ultimately “regret” having come out of retirement.

Barrios is ready to dominate the superstar Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) in their 12-round main event on Saturday, July 19th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Their fight is part of an event that will be shown on PBC on Prime Video PPV.

Barrios: Pacquiao Regret Comeback

“The longer the fight goes [the more Pacquiao will feel it]. My job is to go in there and make him feel like the old man. Make him regret coming out of retirement to face me,” said Mario Barrios to Fight Hub TV, talking about Manny Pacquiao.

Barrios makes a good point. Pacquiao will wear down the longer the fight goes because of his age and inactivity. He was already showing stamina problems in his last fight four years ago against Yordenis Ugas. It’ll be worse now. If this is really about Pacquiao trying to win a world title, he waited long enough to come out of retirement. He should have returned earlier to give himself a better chance.

Why Pacquiao Came Back

“Make him question, ‘Why did I come back for this?’ I give the favor to me as the rounds go on. Manny is known for being a fast starter,” said Barrios. “From the first bell, he’s coming out swinging. We know he’s dangerous at close quarters, and especially with his speed.”

Pacquiao says he’s not taking this fight for the money, but his reported purse of $12.6 million has got to play a factor in why he’s coming back. He may regret coming out of retirement, but the big purse he’s receiving will be a nice salve for his hurt feelings. Money-wise, Pacquiao has chosen a good time to come out of retirement, because fights are paying more now for the big-name fighters.

Countering Pacquiao’s Speed

“The best way to counter speed is with timing, and I think I have that on my side, especially with my physical attributes over Manny. My job is to go in there and try to neutralize what he tries to do early on. Then dominate in any way I can,” said Barrios.

The 6’0″ Barrios will have a massive size advantage over the 5’5 1/2″ Pacquiao in this fight. Barrios’ height, reach, and youth advantage will make it tough for Manny to deal with in this fight. The last time Pacquiao fought someone of a similar height was when he faced Jessie Vargas in 2016.