Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios predict, chances of winning: Does Pacquiao, 46, have a chance?

The 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao will be on Saturday in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the second oldest world champion in boxing history with a win against the defending champion of WBC Welterwehr, Mario Barrios.

A victory for Pacquiao could achieve a potential reservoir from Floyd Mayweather Jr. – no, we have not returned to 2010. But Pacquiao will definitely hope to turn the clock back on Saturday and find a performance that would have been expected in the late 2010s.

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Apart from a fascinating title showdown in the main event, there are two exciting setbacks on the pay-per-view card and the return of a former champion. It is an action -packed event on Saturday, so let's immerse yourself and reduce everything.

Betting odds with the kind permission of Betmgm.

WBC Welterweight Title: Manny Pacquiao (+260) against Mario Barrios (-313)

“The father is not waiting for anyone,” the saying goes.

Pacquiao hopes, logic and dethrone Barrios, 16 years younger, to defy his WBC government. “Pacman” has not entered a boxing ring since his loss of decision against the late replacement Yordis Ugas in 2021. The last time the Filipino legend won a fight, his triumph of the divided Discise about Keith Thurman in 2019-six years until the day on Sunday.

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When Pacquiao faced the Japanese Kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in July 2024, he looked like a shell of the man, who was an integral part of pound-for-pound lists a decade ago. If Pacquiao were exposed to another world champion in the world weight this weekend, namely Jaron “Boots” Ennis, I wouldn't even give him a remote chance. But at Barrios it becomes a more interesting matchup.

Barrios is one of the weaker champions in the recent world weight history. He lost comfortably against Keith Thurman three years ago and fought against a past against the best Abel Ramos in November.

When Pacquiao suddenly comes back and win a world weight title, he has selected the right champion against which he does. Nevertheless, I don't think we will see how Pacquiao increases his hands in Las Vegas.

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Pacquiao was beaten four years ago by precision and simple long -distance box against Cubas Ugas. That night the speed and footwork that the world in love with Pacquiao were nowhere to be found. And it is very unlikely that we will see again four years later that these attributes reappear.

Many boxers believe that they could retire and appear decades ago. A fighter is always the last one who admits when his time is over. In recent years we have seen 58-year-old Mike Tyson, 60-year-old Oliver McCall, and now the 46-year-old Ricky Hatton has retired. It was painful to see how Tyson and McCall return so many years after their prime numbers, and it will undoubtedly be similarly difficult to observe a retirement of 13 years in December.

If Barrios can use its reach to keep the fight with Pacquiao within a large scale and the Filipino every time he tries to close the gap, to hit with a sharp shock – as Barrios sometimes did against Ramos – as Barrios wins conveniently. Pacquiaos timing and speed will let him down. The mind knows what to do, but the body cannot do it.

Anpo, which has a similar frame as Barrios, triggered the design to defeat Pacquiao. Barrios only has to follow him for 36 minutes.

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Selection: Barrios

WBC Super Welterweight Title: Sebastian Fundora (+125) against Tim Tszyu (-163)

It was a brutal, bloody fight between Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu for the Unified Super Welterweight Championship in March 2024.

Tszyu should face Thurman in the main event per view, but a violation of Thurman forced him to withdraw only 10 days. Tszyu accepted Fundora as the late replacement, although he did not prepare for the style of Fundora and the unique dimensions.

In the early minutes of the fight everything went well for TSzyu until he suffered a terrible cut from an elbow at the end of the second round. Tszyu fought with a cut of this size and faced the greatest adversity of his career. After he dominated early, the struggle began to get away-before the Aussie knew it, the hands of Fundora were raised after 12 action-packed rounds. Tszyu had lost his title belt.

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Instead of jumping into a resource, Tszyu decided to get in directly into another title fight against the little-known IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. Murtazaliev, a heavy outsider, put together the performance of his career and destroyed Tszyu in three rounds after four brutal knockdowns.

Tszyu was abandoned Australia to look for the American dream that his famous father Kostya TSzyu experienced in the late 1990s and early 2000s – but in 2024 a nightmare year became a nightmare year.

Fundora achieved a successful defense of his title last March and stopped Chordale Booker in four rounds, while Tszyu returned to Joey Spencer to his winning methods two weeks later. Now the rivals should do everything again.

It could be a completely different struggle than your first meeting 16 months ago. Both men had a complete camp this time to prepare for the other, and the dynamics are firmly in favor of Fundora, with Tszyu maybe still fighting the demons of a terrible campaign in 2024.

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Fundora refuses to use his physical advantages despite a highly towering personality. The champion prefers to fight up close and trade with shorter, more compact boxers. The key for him in this matchup will be to mix it and fight it with a strict guard.

Will TSzyu be as ready to endure with Fundora after switching off? Tszyu was noticeably patient and responsible in the early rounds of his return against Spencer defensive. Tszyu could make the mistake of bringing fundora into a rhythm and building dynamics if it does not disturb the flow of Fundora early.

I assume that it is another strenuous, even fight, but for Fundora, to achieve another victory and to send Tszyu back against his name with another defeat.

Selection: Fundora

Springweight: Brandon Figueroa (-250) against Joet Gonzalez (+195)

Brandon Figueroa tries again in the profit column against the experienced candidate Joet Gonzalez.

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Figueroa, who previously held the title of WBC Super Bantamweight, was defeated by Stephen Fulton to become two weight champions in February. Fulton also defeated Figueroa in 2021 in an unification slugfest. The second meeting between the couple was much more reserved, with Fulton outboxing Figueroa a comfortable unanimous decision.

Three from Gonzalez 'four defeats came through decisions in world championship titles. The native California has proven to be something below the world level. Gonzalez annoyed the top candidate Arnold Khegai in March to book a big fight and a large stage against Figueroa.

It is a lot of a kind of loser-go home-like from Matchup at the Pay-Per-View Opener of the night. The winner could be on the way to another shot at a championship, but the man who leaves empty hands on Saturday will be far from another chance against the elite of the division.

Fight fans have seen enough of Figueroa to know how to fight – he relentlessly puts his opponents under pressure and tries to overwhelm them with volume. Gonzalez fights smarter than that – but not on “Tom and Jerry” to use Turki Alalshikh's expression. He is a great body puncher and counter -puncher, but can also hit it if necessary.

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Figueroa's appearances against Magdaleno and Fulton leave a lot to be desired, while Gonzalez uses his experience on the way upwards about overload and better competitors. It will be a closely contested fight that almost surely covers the distance. I think the momentum could be Gonzalez's favor for a surprise.

Pick: Gonzalez

Fast picks Unterkard:

• Great bantam weight: David Picasso (-1400) Def. Kyonosuke Kameda (+900)

• Light weight: Mark Magsayo (-800) Def. Jorge Mata (+550)

• Super spring weight: Gary Allen Russell Jr. (-1200) Def. Hugo Castaneda (+850)