Nonito Donaire believes that Pacquiao can beat Barrios
Nonito Donaire explained that Pacquiao must take advantage of his speed and feints, which could tip the balance in his favor against Barrios to start adding points
Nonito Donaire believes that Manny Pacquiao can defeat Mario Barrios and take away the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In an interview with Fight Hype, Donaire explained that Pacquiao must take advantage of his speed and feints could tip the scales in his favor against Barrios to start racking up points.
"Barrios is tall and tough, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because Pacquiao is a champion, an eight-division record holder, and he knows how to fight, he knows how to win. So you always have to give him the opportunity to show up. Now, whoever shows up in the ring, whether they're wanting to win or just trying to be there, that's the question we have to look at. But I think Pacquiao has the ability to do something to win the fight against Neighborhoods,” he said.
I would say use your speed, use your feints. You don't have to throw all those crazy punches that you do. If you can go for it, go for it, but there's a factor in his age that could be an impediment. But I think if he feints and uses his entrances and exits, he can make the fight very different and favor him. If he shows up like that, I'm 100% in favor of him, he added.
The last time that Manny Pacquiao stepped into the ring was in his defeat to Cuban Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. After four years of inactivity, the Filipino will have the opportunity to fight again for the WBC world title, classifying him at fifth in the welterweight rankings.
Pac-Man met in Los Angeles with trainer Freddie Roach and has already begun his preparation for this new commitment. It should be noted that the former eight-division champion has not won since 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman.
On the other hand, Mario Barrios in his last fight with Abel Ramos did not look so good and ended up drawing, although many believe he lost that fight. Now the American can finish completely retiring Pacquiao or fall to one of the biggest stars in the sport.
The Filipino Manny Pacquiao, 46, will seek to become world champion again against Mario Barrios. The boxing legend has a professional record of 62 wins (39 by knockout), 8 losses and 2 draws.
For his part, Mario Barrios, 30, retained his WBC welterweight title against Abel Ramos in November 2024. The American has a record of 39 wins (18 by knockout), two losses and one draw as a professional.