Comments Thread For: ?I'll win the fight:? Manny Pacquiao in his element preparing for Mario Barrios

[BoxingUpdates]

The sounds that define Wild Card Boxing Club have returned. The thunderous thwacks against the heavy bag. The vicious grunts of a man expending every bit of force into the blows.?Record eight-division champion and impending International Hall of Fame member Manny Pacquiao is back in the game, intent once more to reign as welterweight champion.
[Click Here To Read More]

[JuniorTorres720]

You're only as good as your last fight. Pacquiao didn't look great in his last pro fight against Ugas. His exhibitions don't hold much weight because they weren't legit matches. But, if anyone can bring a special performance it's Pacquiao. He's an all time great.

[champion4ever]

I hope Manny does win. It would be great for the sport boxing if he does.

I would love to see him challenge Tank Davis next. We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.

[ijudge]

I hope Manny does win. It would be great for the sport boxing if he does.

I would love to see him challenge Tank Davis next. We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.

I honestly like his chances against Barrios.
Boots and Norman however are a completely different story.
Those two are natural welters. Whereas Barrios moved up from 140.

Pacquiao's performances against natural welters has been hot and cold.
The only natural welters (those that either debut at 147 or the vast majority of their career was at 147) he ever fought were Clottey, Margarito, Horn, Thurman, and Ugas.
Half those fights he won and half he lost.
Thurman win was probably the last time he'll ever get a win against a natural welter and that was a really tough victory.
I just don't see him beating Boots or Norman at this age.

But I could still see him still clinching victories against those coming up from lightweight (Teo, Haney, Rolly, Tank, etc.)
These aren't natural welters.


Also, Boots and Norman should really not wait for the WBC winner because it seems PBC is just gonna round robin just to keep the belt at their stable (whether it's Tank vs Pac or Tank vs Barrios 2 or some Rolly vs Barrios, etc.)

[RuleOfTheSpear]

Pacquiao's performances against natural welters has been hot and cold.
The only natural welters (those that either debut at 147 or the vast majority of their career was at 147) he ever fought were Clottey, Margarito, Horn, Thurman, and Ugas.
Half those fights he won and half he lost.
Thurman win was probably the last time he'll ever get a win against a natural welter and that was a really tough victory.
I just don't see him beating Boots or Norman at this age.

I don't remember Floyd fighting any natural welterweights

[ijudge]

I don't remember Floyd fighting any natural welterweights

That's not true.

Baldomir and Berto both debut at 147.
Canelo is a super welter, although the fight was at catchweight.

Oscar and Mosley for me are separate cases.
Half of Oscar's fights were below 147.
He was an absolute destroyer at 130, 135, and 140. Whereas his performances at 147 was running on pure skill.
Mosley meanwhile had an entire career at lightweight. Almost 10 world title wins at 135.
But had a mid career at 147. Only noteworthy 147 win was that split against Oscar then losing two wide decisions to a natural welter in Forrest.
(some of his performances has asterisks considering his relationship with victor conte)

In short, they're multi-weight division champions who were running on pure skill to be at 147 and above.
They're not the average welterweight that walks around 180lbs and cut to 147 and then rehydrate as middleweights or above.
They're not big dudes.

I'm rambling here but

These are perfect examples of natural welterweights
Hearns, Forrest, Trinidad, Leonard, Williams, Spence, Boots, Thurman, etc.
They all rehydrate to at least 165

Crawford is an odd case. He debut at 135 but I think really he is a natural welterweight.
He wasn't growing as he moved up divisions. He's too old for that.
He was just cutting less and less weight as he moved up.
Dude is deceptively big.
Stopped everyone at 147 too.
Stopages stopped at 154. Running on pure skill now.

In short,
Floyd beat natural welters Baldomir, Berto, superwelter Canelo, and then Oscar and Mosley
Oscar and Mosley aren't big welterweights but are in the same category as Floyd and Pac.
Power is less of a deciding factor for them and their style. It's all skill at 147.

Also interesting,
Floyd and Pac couldn't stop any natural welters.
Although Pac managed to drop Mosley and Thurman, they were flash knockdowns.
The Oscar one was more of a case of him being shot. That was his last fight.

[steeve steel]

Pacman started training on may 19th, so that gives him 2 months. Can he pull it off? Maybe, just maybe. Am I bias? Maybe just maybe..

[harry-greb]

He has no chance

[Southpaw16]

I don’t like his chances against Barrios, not one bit. I don’t think he will win a round.

[leftuppercutko]

I like Manny's chances if he comes in well-trained I think he can win bottles looked horrible in his last fight He's not an elite fighter Manny wins this by decision