Naniniwala si dating unified welterweight world champion Keith Thurman na ang laban sa pagitan nina Manny Pacquiao at Mario Barrios ay nakasalalay sa kalusugan at kondisyon ng 46-anyos na Filipino boxing legend.
Matatandaan na muling sasabak sa ring si Pacquiao matapos ang apat na taong pagreretiro laban kay Barrios para sa WBC welterweight title sa Hulyo 19 sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas.
“It’s hard to know, with the age of Pacquiao, what we’re gonna get from him. But I’ll tell you this, depending on his conditioning, depending on how much he can pop in on that in-step that he brought to me, that notorious fast in-step if he can pop that and if he can get in, I know he can hurt Mario Barrios,” ani Thurman sa panayam ng Boxing247.
Magugunita na tinalo ni Pacquiao si Thurman noong 2019 via split decision, at pinabagsak pa siya sa unang round. Si Thurman ay natalo kay Pacquiao sa edad na 40, kung kailan naging pinakamatandang welterweight champion ang Pinoy boxer.
Gayunman, hindi na nanalo si Pacquiao mula noon. Huli siyang lumaban noong 2021 kung saan tinalo siya ni Yordenis Ugas.
Si Thurman rin ay nakalaban din si Barrios noong 2022 at nanalo via unanimous decision. Aniya, bagama’t may lakas si Barrios, madali raw itong tamaan at may kahinaan pa rin sa depensa.
“So I think if Barrios works that jab of his, makes the old man use his legs and work really hard to get inside, I think he can pull it off,” dagdag ni Thurman.
Samantala sa status ni Pacquiao mayroon na itong 62-8-2 (39KOs) habang si Barrios naman ay may 29-2-1 (18KOs).
