ONE MORE TIME
Pacquiao to battle Romero next?
MANNY Pacquiao is thrilled to return to action after forging a draw with Mario Barrios in their WBC welterweight title fight in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Photograph by Nick Giongco for DAILY TRIBUNE
Pacquiao to battle Romero next?
MANNY Pacquiao is thrilled to return to action after forging a draw with Mario Barrios in their WBC welterweight title fight in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Photograph by Nick Giongco for DAILY TRIBUNE
LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao just can’t wait to get into the ring again.
After nearly winning against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, Pacquiao told his team, including chief trainer Buboy Fernandez, that he felt fabulous and that he is looking forward to a planned return in late-October or November.
Reminded of how close he was from bagging the World Boxing Council welterweight crown at the MGM Grand, the 46-year-old Pacquiao did a little shadowboxing to show his excitement.
The showdown with Barrios, Pacquiao’s first fight in almost four years, ended on a 12-round majority draw that allowed the American champion to retain the title.
“You did great and I got so pumped up when you started landing big shots,” Fernandez told his childhood friend.
It was at this time that Pacquiao, the massive underdog, came forward once again and started throwing lightning-quick punches in the air, his facial features contorting to express utmost focus.
His face still a bit bruised, caused not by Barrios’ heavy punches but by laser-like jabs, Pacquiao swears a longer training camp would have helped him score a knockout.
“This one, this one,” Pacquiao said, throwing a left uppercut, “could have either staggered him or knocked Barrios down.”
Fernandez acknowledged what Pacquiao was telling everyone who milled around him.
“That punch hardly landed solid. Had it landed squarely on the jaw, Barrios would have gone down.”
“It is just so sad that they took the fight away from him. A win would have been big for the sport of boxing,” said David Sisson, one of the Filipino eight-division legend’s aides.
Still, Pacquiao was still happy that he didn’t lose.
“That’s okay. Remember that we didn’t lose.”
Sean Gibbons, who represents Pacquiao globally, is excited to see him in action before the end of the year but could not help but express his utmost dismay to the scoring.
“He came to Las Vegas to make history but he got robbed trying to make one,” Gibbons said.
Pacquiao will get another chance at making history, probably against Rolly Romero, the World Boxing Association welterweight titleholder.
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