MANNY PACQUIAO VS. MARIO BARRIOS FIGHT CARD, ODDS & PREDICTIONS

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

• Mario Barrios defends his WBC welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao on July 19 in Las Vegas.

• Pacquiao comes out of retirement for this fight inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

• Pacquiao is the +225 betting underdog, while Barrios is the -250 betting favorite.

Reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios will welcome the challenge of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who will come out of retirement for this championship battle on July 19 inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Because he’s coming off a four-year hiatus and is already 46 years old, Pacquiao heads into the match as the considerable betting underdog with +225 boxing odds. On the other hand, Barrios, the defending world champion, is going to be the -250 betting favorite.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios Odds

Manny Pacquiao: +225

Mario Barrios: -250

Tie: +1600

Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios: Prediction

I predict a unanimous decision win for Pacquiao against Barrios because the latter often crumbles under pressure during megafights and title showdowns, much like he did during his matches against Davis and Ramos.

Although Pacquiao is coming off a four-year layoff from professional boxing, he has maintained his shape by competing in various exhibition matches. Furthermore, “Pacman” has the wealth of experience he can use against his much younger opponent.

I expect Pacquiao to go all out in the first six rounds of the match because this is what he did against Thurman before, scoring an early knockdown. That knockdown became crucial in the judges’ scorecards, which helped him secure the split decision win.

As for Barrios, he should weather the early barrage from Pacquiao and turn it up in the tail end of the fight, where Pacquiao would be more vulnerable to counter punches and power shots. Additionally, he should fully utilize his height and reach advantages to keep the challenger at bay while landing his punches and combinations.

Manny Pacquiao’s Recent Fight Results

Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history, and he has left a lasting legacy due to this historic achievement. Aside from winning world titles across several weight classes, the Filipino icon also scored victories against other boxing royalty.

Included in Pacquiao’s hit list are Erick Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Keith Thurman, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, and Oscar De La Hoya. His supposed retirement fight against Yordenis Ugas in August 2021 ended in a unanimous decision defeat.

Mario Barrios’ Recent Fight Results

Barrios is one of the current titleholders in the welterweight division. He made his pro debut in November 2013 and slowly moved up in weight. His first major fight on the grandest stage was against Gervonta Davis in June 2021, but he suffered an 11th-round TKO loss.

Since that loss to Tank, he moved up to the welterweight division and won three of his five bouts, including the WBC interim welterweight title, which was later elevated to the regular champion status. His most recent outing was a disappointment, as his fight with Abel Ramos ended in a split draw.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios: Tale of the Tape

Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios: Start Time

July 19, 11 p.m. E.T.

July 19, 10 p.m. C.T.

July 19, 9 p.m. M.T.

July 19, 8 p.m. P.T.

- ANATOLY PIMENTEL

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