Fortune teller? Pacquiao's strength coach sees stoppage win vs Barrios

MANILA, Philippines — Five years ago, World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Mario Barrios would have been the perfect opponent for Manny Pacquiao.

Listed at six feet tall and not really known for his footwork, Barrios is the kind of foe Pacquiao is expected to have a field day against.

In his prime, the 5-foot-5 Pacquiao had battered much taller but flat-footed opponents from pillar to post, such as Oscar De La Hoya and Antonio Margarito. The Filipino icon employed his blazingly fast hands and footwork to pepper them with combinations then spin away from danger, leaving them bewildered.

But that was a long time ago.

Pacquiao, now 46, hasn’t fought professionally in four years. The last time he did, he lost a unanimous decision in 2021 to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas, who at 5-foot-9 and relatively slower would likewise have been tailor-made for Pacquiao.

That’s why the Filipino icon is coming in as the underdog against the much younger Barrios when they lock horns at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 19 (July 20 Manila time).

Pacquiao, however, will be a very live underdog, as far as his longtime strength and conditioning coach Justine Fortune is concerned.

Speaking recently to Elie Sechback of ESNews, Fortune, who had been supervising Pacquiao’s workouts in Los Angeles, still sees the Pacquiao of old.

“Listen, on the mitts and bags, they don’t punch back, but he (Pacquiao) looks the same as he did six or seven years ago. He hasn’t missed a beat,” said Fortune.

He underscored how the 30-year-old Barrios also isn’t really known for his defense.

“Barrios gets hit a lot, and (Pacquiao is) the last person you want to get hit a lot by. He (Barrios) puffs a lot. Once you puff up, once you swell up and this guy (Pacquiao) hits you in the head, he starts a cut,” he added.

Fortune’s prediction? Throw away the scorecards.

“I think it’s a stoppage. It won’t go the distance,” he said.