‘Pac-Man’ is a legend of the sport and the only man to ever win titles across eight different weight divisions.
He has had 72 fights so far – won 62 of them – and his ledger includes famous battles with stars such as Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley and Keith Thurman, who was the last boxer he beat back in 2019, before then losing conclusively on points to Yordenis Ugas in his final fight in 2021.
Pacquiao is now 46 with many miles on the clock, but that hasn’t stopped him from securing a contest with Mario Barrios, the WBC welterweight ruler, on July 19.
Speaking to ESNEWS, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune confirmed that he thinks the Filipino is still in top condition.
“Listen, on the mitts and bags, they don’t punch back, but he looks the same as he did six or seven years ago. He hasn’t missed a beat.”
When asked about how the fight plays out, he backed his man to win by KO.
“Barrios gets hit a lot, and he’s the last person you want to get hit a lot by. I think it’s a stoppage. It won’t go the distance.”
Barrios is 30, with a record of 32 fights, 29 wins and 18 by KO. He has lost to Thurman and Gervonta Davis but beat Yordenis Ugas and last fought in November 2024 when he drew with Abel Ramos.