Zürcher Nachrichten - Pacquiao, 46, eyes comeback upset in Barrios showdown

EUR -
AED 4.309508
AFN 80.781552
ALL 97.370238
AMD 450.366626
ANG 2.099834
AOA 1075.906156
ARS 1493.577732
AUD 1.787447
AWG 2.114267
AZN 1.992805
BAM 1.952188
BBD 2.367829
BDT 143.364713
BGN 1.952329
BHD 0.442219
BIF 3495.36185
BMD 1.173289
BND 1.498347
BOB 8.104004
BRL 6.480538
BSD 1.172735
BTN 101.293563
BWP 15.672998
BYN 3.837915
BYR 22996.462534
BZD 2.355651
CAD 1.604777
CDF 3389.631588
CHF 0.934763
CLF 0.02842
CLP 1114.917818
CNY 8.393689
CNH 8.411755
COP 4779.697409
CRC 592.012089
CUC 1.173289
CUP 31.092156
CVE 110.060402
CZK 24.533945
DJF 208.624842
DKK 7.46403
DOP 71.159234
DZD 151.879696
EGP 57.556817
ERN 17.599334
ETB 161.755051
FJD 2.631393
FKP 0.867546
GBP 0.871625
GEL 3.179596
GGP 0.867546
GHS 12.255322
GIP 0.867546
GMD 84.476756
GNF 10174.259906
GTQ 9.000345
GYD 245.355985
HKD 9.208634
HNL 30.708568
HRK 7.52688
HTG 153.897845
HUF 396.170405
IDR 19162.858366
ILS 3.941828
IMP 0.867546
INR 101.596378
IQD 1536.257255
IRR 49410.122829
ISK 142.109196
JEP 0.867546
JMD 187.764954
JOD 0.831839
JPY 173.465486
KES 151.587053
KGS 102.431291
KHR 4699.3842
KMF 491.018813
KPW 1055.939086
KRW 1621.743342
KWD 0.358193
KYD 0.977287
KZT 636.549394
LAK 25280.220587
LBP 105077.009581
LKR 353.955029
LRD 235.135898
LSL 20.673245
LTL 3.464417
LVL 0.709711
LYD 6.329315
MAD 10.53291
MDL 19.719678
MGA 5170.49843
MKD 61.446298
MMK 2463.337809
MNT 4208.926987
MOP 9.482154
MRU 46.640291
MUR 53.278618
MVR 18.06468
MWK 2033.563021
MXN 21.77775
MYR 4.957132
MZN 75.043516
NAD 20.672658
NGN 1792.985054
NIO 43.160502
NOK 11.926793
NPR 162.072168
NZD 1.953398
OMR 0.451131
PAB 1.17273
PEN 4.170183
PGK 4.931916
PHP 67.069862
PKR 333.201931
PLN 4.251356
PYG 8783.783609
QAR 4.287729
RON 5.07354
RSD 117.096602
RUB 93.420739
RWF 1695.184842
SAR 4.401525
SBD 9.72081
SCR 17.225578
SDG 704.555754
SEK 11.188583
SGD 1.502572
SHP 0.922021
SLE 26.927338
SLL 24603.28632
SOS 670.268281
SRD 42.931228
STD 24284.711468
STN 24.454956
SVC 10.260969
SYP 15256.139553
SZL 20.655778
THB 37.993446
TJS 11.141032
TMT 4.118244
TND 3.418275
TOP 2.747962
TRY 47.583823
TTD 7.970218
TWD 34.613183
TZS 3006.554009
UAH 48.99736
UGX 4208.212974
USD 1.173289
UYU 46.903408
UZS 14967.303972
VES 141.115448
VND 30669.771971
VUV 140.181839
WST 3.211864
XAF 654.753791
XAG 0.030178
XAU 0.000351
XCD 3.170872
XCG 2.113589
XDR 0.814304
XOF 654.748221
XPF 119.331742
YER 282.703684
ZAR 20.81428
ZMK 10561.013911
ZMW 27.352503
ZWL 377.798549
  • CMSC

    0.0000

    22.43

    0%

  • RYCEF

    -0.2600

    13.24

    -1.96%

  • RBGPF

    7.0000

    75

    +9.33%

  • SCU

    0.0000

    12.72

    0%

  • SCS

    -0.1700

    10.51

    -1.62%

  • NGG

    -0.4200

    72.23

    -0.58%

  • CMSD

    -0.0400

    22.85

    -0.18%

  • BCC

    -1.9200

    86.43

    -2.22%

  • RIO

    -0.7900

    63.83

    -1.24%

  • GSK

    0.2000

    38.23

    +0.52%

  • BTI

    0.2500

    52.62

    +0.48%

  • JRI

    -0.0600

    13.15

    -0.46%

  • VOD

    0.2200

    11.52

    +1.91%

  • BP

    -0.5800

    32.13

    -1.81%

  • BCE

    -0.1700

    24.43

    -0.7%

  • AZN

    0.6800

    73.68

    +0.92%

  • RELX

    0.6200

    53.71

    +1.15%

Pacquiao, 46, eyes comeback upset in Barrios showdown
Pacquiao, 46, eyes comeback upset in Barrios showdown / Photo: Ethan Miller - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Pacquiao, 46, eyes comeback upset in Barrios showdown

Thirty years after clambering through the ropes for his first professional fight as a skinny 16-year-old, Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring once more on Saturday for the latest round of his protracted battle with Father Time.

Text size:

The 46-year-old Filipino icon takes on World Boxing Council welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas chasing another milestone to crown his glittering 30-year professional career.

Pacquiao stunned the boxing world in May when he announced that he planned to end his four-year exile from the sport to challenge Barrios, taking advantage of a WBC rule that allows former champions to request an immediate title fight when coming out of retirement.

Pacquiao, who is reportedly set to receive between $5-10 million for Saturday's fight, says his comeback is motivated by his passion for the sport and the adrenaline rush of headlining a Sin City fight night.

"I'm returning because I miss my boxing," Pacquiao said during a recent publicity tour.

"Especially these situations -- being interviewed, press conference, training camp, everything like that.

"I missed that. But it has been good for me -- I've rested my body for four years. And now I come back."

Sceptics though have voiced concern that Pacquiao, whose last professional win came in 2019, may have bitten off more than he can chew by exercising his right for a title shot against a defending champion Barrios who is 16 years his junior and in the prime of his career.

Even Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's long-time trainer who will be in the Filipino's corner once again on Saturday, admitted to initially harbouring reservations about the match-up.

"I really don't want to see him make a comeback, because I think he's already been great. He's already done everything he can do," Roach said in May before Pacquiao's return was made official.

- 'Bad intentions' -

Oddsmakers have echoed the scepticism, with Barrios installed as 4/11 favourite to dish out a ninth defeat in what will be Pacquiao's 73rd career fight.

"I'm okay being the underdog," an unfazed Pacquiao said in Las Vegas this week. "I've been the underdog many times. I'm always bringing surprises."

Pacquiao's supporters meanwhile point to the Filipino's chiseled physique and glimpses of impressive hand speed as reasons to believe that the veteran can produce another memorable Vegas win.

Yet boxing history is littered with veteran fighters who looked sharp in training camp only to be dismantled by much younger opponents when fight night rolled around.

Many in the sport have wondered if Pacquiao might be heading for the same kind of pummelling that he dished out to an ageing Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.

De la Hoya, who had been favoured to win that contest, was soundly beaten over eight one-sided rounds in what would be the final fight of the American's career.

"I wanted to die in that ring," De La Hoya revealed years later.

Pacquiao insists the fears surrounding his comeback are overblown, noting that his family were squarely behind his decision to lace up the gloves again.

"I'm thankful for their concern," Pacquiao told AFP. "But the people who really concern me, is my family. My family saw how I move, saw how I train, saw my my body condition. They support me because they can see the old Pacquiao style."

A win for Pacquiao on Saturday would see him make history as the first active fighter to win a major world title after being inducted to boxing's Hall of Fame.

Standing in his way though is Barrios, who says Pacquiao's status as one of the most beloved fighters of his era will not distract him from the task in hand.

"He's a hard guy to dislike. But at the end of the day, you know it's kill or be killed," Barrios said.

"Hats off to Pacquiao for daring to be great. But it's my time now and I'm gonna show that come Saturday.

"I'm going in there with bad intentions and power in both hands. I won't hesitate to pull the trigger."

T.Gerber--NZN