FORMER world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire believes that despite his age and long layoff, Manny Pacquiao still has what it takes to wrest the title from American World Boxing Council welterweight king Mario Barrios on July 19 (July 20 in Manila) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“Barrios is a tall guy and he’s a tough guy but I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt because Pacquiao is a champion, the holder of a record eight divisions, and he knows how to fight, knows how to win,” Donaire told fighthype in an interview posted on its YouTube account yesterday (Sunday in the US).
“So you always got to give it that opportunity for him (Pacquiao) to show up. But I believe he has the ability to do something to win the fight against Barrios,” he added.
Donaire himself came out of a two-year retirement last month, winning the World Boxing Association interim bantamweight belt with a technical decision win over Argentina’s Andres Campos after suffering a bad cut on the left eyebrow in the ninth round in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.
He offered unsolicited advice to Pacman, 46, who has been training for over a month in Los Angeles for a successful comeback against the taller and younger Barrios, 30.
“I would say use your speed, use your feint. You don’t have to do all the crazy punches that you do. If you can do it, go for it,” said Donaire of Pacman’s vaunted speed.
He acknowledged “that there’s a factor in his (Pacquiao’s) age that might be a detriment. But I believe if he feints, uses his in and out, he can make the fight very different so that it goes his way. If he shows up that way, 100% for him.”
Donaire, however, said that if Pacquiao doesn’t execute well “then Barrios is to be the young guy who’s going to take it to the legend. But I believe Manny just has to be who he is, use a little bit of feint, be smart, be the guy that people are afraid, and I think he’s going to do well in that fight.”
