Same old, same old

LAS VEGAS — For Manny Pacquiao, Saturday night’s comeback is just another day in the office.

But it’s going to be a brand-new experience for Mario Barrios, the defending World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion.

“There’s no pressure on Manny; all the pressure is on Barrios,” blurted out Pacquiao’s right-hand man Sean Gibbons during a lively Q&A with Filipino scribes on Thursday.

That setup is ideal, according to Gibbons, who believes a strong start by Pacquiao would pave the way for a rousing victory Saturday at the MGM Grand.

“Manny’s gonna go out, do what he’s gonna do. With his hope that his body will do what needs to be done.”

While Pacquiao has made this gambling mecca his home, having fought here 22 times, including 15 at the Grand Garden Arena, Barrios will be making his MGM Grand debut.

Marvin Somodio, who will serve as the lead assistant trainer to Buboy Fernandez, insists Barrios could find himself having butterflies in his stomach when the bell rings.

And this is the perfect opportunity for Pacquiao to impose his will.

“We have to dictate the tempo right away, make Barrios feel the pain,” Somodio said.

Pacquiao, a veteran of 72 fights, knows exactly what to do and all he needs in the last two days is to keep him focused and maintain his condition.

Instead of working out outside, Pacquiao just opted to stay indoors and just did a light workout inside his posh suite at the MGM Grand.

“Last two days. It’s been amazing right now. I was in the room with Manny yesterday, he was playing ‘Let it Be’ on the piano. He’s so comfortable and relaxed right now going into this moment. I love it when we talk about life going full circle, this is where he won his first, where he basically came into the map in 2001. I think the timing is just perfect,” Gibbons said.

“It’s his experience. He’s been on the big stage before. He thrives in these moments. I like to put Manny Pacquiao in with Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, man. These are the moments they live for. These are the moments that they work for. And Manny knows when they put the work in. He’s just ready. So, I really think on Saturday night, if he can get his timing down, he’s got the power, he’s got the speed, you’re gonna see a very explosive evening.”

Rex “Wakee” Salud, once the Philippines’ premier promoter and a longtime friend of Pacquiao, is one of the very few guys who don’t feel threatened by Barrios, who has only fought 31 times.

“He is tailor-made for Manny,” Salud said from his Cebu home.

Salud was supposed to fly in here but he had to back out at the last-minute owing to medical reasons.

“Manny remains strong and fast and he has this incredible faith in God,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t fought in almost four years because Manny is a very disciplined person,” Salud added.

Gibbons feels that if Pacquiao comes out smoking, “it could be like the (Keith) Thurman fight, where that (first round knockdown) changed the whole outlook of the fight.”

“If Manny can make a major statement in the first round, I believe that would dictate what’s happening the rest of the fight. If he feels it out and Barrios, they have a feeling-out round, I think they’re really gonna start to step it up (after). I think Barrios is gonna be respectful, he wants to see what Manny Pacquiao has in front of him. Manny still wants to let Barrios know ‘hey, I’m Manny Pacquiao… I’m here.’”

And should Pacquiao get the job done, Gibbons says the effect would be colossal.

“A win here puts him in the stratosphere that he’s bigger than anybody in boxing and a lot of sports in the world. This isn’t a Las Vegas story. This is a worldwide story. A fighter trying to accomplish something that’s never been done.”