ALL too suddenly, Manny Pacquiao’s age is a non-factor in his fight with American Adrien Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) on Sunday (Jan. 20 PHL time).
“Age is just a number,” said Pacquiao on Saturday, a day before he defends his WBA welterweight crown he captured with a seventh-round stoppage of Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse in July 2018.
That win pushed Pacquiao to believe he can fight at a high level again despite turning 40 last Dec. 17.
Although Matthysse appeared half-baked in that farce of a fight—the Argentine kneeled several times even if he wasn’t really getting hit with solid blows—Pacquiao’s performance deserved a second look if only because he showed flashes of his old self, mobility-wise.
It also erased his lethargic performance the year before, leading to his shocking unanimous decision debacle to the unheralded Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s chief trainer for 17 years, lost his job after the Horn fight.
But Roach is back for the Broner bout.
“I believe Pacquiao will knock Broner out,” said Roach, recalled as consultant while Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s childhood chum, remains as the fighting senator’s chief trainer.
Pacquiao must beat Broner impressively—by knockout at the very least—to keep his dream of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. aflame.
Next to his shock sixth-round KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, Pacquiao’s defeat on points to Mayweather in 2015 is bitterest for him as the only eight-division world champion climbed the ring that night nursing an injured shoulder.
Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) must win Sunday as Broner’s merely a bait to lure Mayweather to face the PacMan again.
Broner’s last two fights were as forgettable as your last hangover, drawing with Jessie Vargas (28-2-0) on April 21, 2018, after losing by unanimous decision to Mikey Garcia (36-0-0) on July 29 2017.
Broner only won three of his last six fights—all against nondescripts—with one surnamed Theophane (39-6-1).
Broner’s about to lose to a foe 11 years his senior. By knockout, if not by unanimous decision.