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MARIO BARRIOS FEELS ‘INSULTED’ 46-YEAR-OLD MANNY PACQUIAO PICKED HIM AS COMEBACK OPPONENT

LAS VEGAS — Mario Barrios has an enormous amount of respect for Manny Pacquiao.

Not only for what the Filipino legend accomplished during his incredible career, but for his willingness to fight a championship-caliber opponent at such an advanced age Saturday night. Barrios can’t help but take some offense, however, that Pacquiao, 46, picked him as the opponent coming back from a retirement that lasted almost four years.

“It’s an honor, but I’m a little insulted at the same time,” Barrios told The Ring. “Why did he want it so bad with me? I don’t know if it’s something him and his team saw from one of my fights, or what the reason is exactly. But it’s business.”

Pacquiao’s two other options if he wanted to fight for a welterweight title in his comeback bout were former Ring/IBF/WBA champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis and WBO champ Brian Norman. Ennis, 28, and Norman, 24, are younger, undefeated and considered harder punchers than Barrios, who turned 30 on May 18.

Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs), who is from San Antonio, Texas, is 16 years younger and six inches taller than Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs).

Barrios, however, showed some vulnerability in his last fight.

The WBC welterweight champion dropped Abel Ramos with a right hand in the second round and appeared well on his way to a convincing victory until the sixth of their fight on the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson undercard Nov. 15 in Arlington, Texas. That’s when Ramos sent Barrios to the canvas and the bout became very competitive.

Barrios admits he was hurt badly by Ramos’ right hand and needed time to clear his head. Judge Mike Ross still scored Barrios a 116-110 winner, but he settled for a split draw because judge Javier Alvarez had it 114-112 for Ramos (28-6-3, 22 KOs) and judge Douglas Robinson rendered the entertaining bout a draw, 113-113.

Barrios previously lost a one-sided unanimous decision to Keith Thurman in February 2022 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao edged Thurman by split decision in the last fight the eight-division champion won 2½ years earlier.

Almost six years to the day since he defeated Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs, 1 NC), Pacquiao will return to the same venue, MGM Grand Garden Arena, to battle Barrios.

DraftKings lists Barrios as almost a 3-1 favorite over Pacquiao, who hasn’t boxed since Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs) upset him by unanimous decision in August 2021 in Las Vegas. Barrios nonetheless recognizes the magnitude of Pacquiao’s return to the ring.

“It’s super crazy, but it really puts it into perspective, the person and the fighter that Pacquiao is,” Barrios said. “He has taken care of his body over all these years. And still just being a champion at heart and just wanting to fight the best still at his age — as fighters, we’ll always have that mentality. But for him to be doing it at the age he is, it’s very admirable. I respect it. But he is fighting me for my title.”

The bout between Pacquiao and Barrios will headline a four-fight Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view show. Amazon’s Prime Video will distribute the event, but it is also available through all cable and satellite providers in the United States ($79.99).

- KEITH IDEC

ROY JONES JR DELIVERS HIS HONEST MANNY PACQUIAO VS MARIO BARRIOS VERDICT: "I'M BACKING HIM TO WIN"

Image credit: Matchroom / Ryan Hafey

Roy Jones Jr has weighed in on the upcoming showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios.

‘PacMan’ will make a controversial comeback to the sport when he challenges WBC world welterweight champion Barrios on Saturday July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 46-year-old has been retired from boxing since he suffered defeat to former WBA world welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas, who beat the Filipino great via unanimous decision four years ago.

As the boxing world awaits the return of ‘PacMan’, many with concern, four-weight world champion Jones Jr has shared his thoughts on the 46-year-old’s comeback.

In an interview with Prime Casino, Jones said he was backing Pacquiao to get the job done against the younger and more active champion.

“The fact that Pacquiao can get in shape and go 12 rounds at 46 years old is beating most people right there. How many people can do that? There’s people that are 26 who can’t hardly go one round, and you’re doing it at 46, double their age. You got to take your hat off to Manny. I give Manny a chance, you always gotta give him a chance. I’m backing him.”

Should ‘PacMan’ be victorious in July, he would become the oldest world welterweight champion in boxing history, breaking the record he set himself when he defeated Keith Thurman to capture the WBA title back in 2019, which was his last victory in the professional ranks.

Barrios has held the belt since last year when he was upgraded from interim to full champion after Terence Crawford’s departure from the division. He kept hold of it with a split draw against Abel Ramos last time out.

- Toby Morgan