MANILA, Philippines – It has been four years since Manny Pacquiao last stepped into a professional boxing match and over five years since he last experienced victory.
Nevertheless, that won't stop veteran strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune from making a bold forecast as the Philippine boxing legend returns to face WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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"I believe this will be stopped. It won't last until the final bell," stated Fortune, who recently joined forces again with Pacquiao in Los Angeles, during an interview with EsNews.
The coach from Australia believes that Pacquiao, who is 46, has not undergone significant changes over the years.
Listen, boxing gloves and bags won't hit you back, but Pacquiao still looks just like he did six or seven years ago. It seems like time has not affected him at all.
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Fortune also doubts Barrios' capability to safeguard himself and anticipates Pacquiao will take advantage of this vulnerability when the bout occurs.
"Barrios receives many punches, and Pacquiao is definitely not someone you wish to face frequently. Barrios tends to retain fluids a lot. When your body swells from those blows and this individual (Pacquiao) connects with your head, it often leads to cuts," Fortune stated.
The 30-year-old Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) is favored over Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs). It has been quite some time for Pacquiao as his last professional bout was back in August 2021 where he lost the WBA crown to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas.