It seems that the forthcoming fight between Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten junior welterweight contender Mario Barrios is experiencing some problems, and the latter’s trainer, Bob Santos, explains that. Fans of Pacquiao are hoping to see him face Barrios in the ring, but recent developments suggest that the Filipino icon’s political commitments may delay the fight.
Political Commitments Push Back Manny Pacquiao’s Comeback
Mario Barrios, 29 from San Antonio, is already gearing up for a very different ring fight against Abel Ramos for the WBC welterweight championship. The fight is set to be part of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on November 15. First, there were rumors of a possible fight between Barrios and Manny Pacquiao; however, there has been no agreement to do the fight. That is because of Pacquiao’s expected return to the senate of the Philippines, where his political commitments supersede boxing until early 2024.
Santos claimed that both sides wanted the fight to materialize, but the timing was tricky. During fight preparations, Manny Pacquiao’s Senate commitments took up much of his time, shifting the spotlight to Barrios’ upcoming bout against Abel Ramos. Santos is still hopeful he can get the green light to start negotiating for a Manny Pacquiao fight in the future, depending on future events.
Barrios To Defend Against Ramos In Title Fight
In the meantime, Barrios will go head-to-head with a very tall and strong Abel Ramos, a 33-year-old fighter from Arizona with 28 professional bouts, 6 of which were losses, 2 draws, and 22 knockouts. Ramos has had some problems as of late: he has lost two of his last five bouts, but he is motivated to get back on a winning streak. His latest triumph was in April when he outpointed Juan Ramon Guzman; the fight was stopped in the fifth round, which might indicate a return to greatness.
Barrios has been in strong form since securing a decisive unanimous decision win over Fabian Andres Maidana five months ago. This victory extended his winning streak to three fights and earned him the WBC interim championship. Previously, he had lost back-to-back fights to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman, but the recent string of wins has revitalized his career and raised expectations.
Barrios and Santos Prepare For a Tough Test
Barrios has shown good form since stopping Fabian Andres Maidana by a unanimous decision five months ago. This win happened, making it three fights in a row for Barrios and earning him the WBC interim title. Earlier he had suffered two back-to-back losses against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Keith Thurman, but now a series of victories has put his career on a higher level of expectation.
Upcoming Plans
If Barrios can beat Ramos, then there is hope for another confrontation with Manny Pacquiao, which is useful to interest people in boxing again and which can be arranged if Pacquiao’s political ambitions let him. Audiences would be warmed to see the 45-year-old Pacquiao get back in the ring as the Filipino. The eight-division champion remains one of the most adored personalities in boxing.
The clash on November 15 is a crucial one for Barrios and Ramos: its result may affect the further career of the Mexican fighter or resume the talks on the fight with Manny Pacquiao. This WBC title fight benefits both Barrios considerably and might be a turning point fight for Ramos. The hits from different sources alone seem to make one look forward to the day when Barrios will eventually be made to face Manny Pacquiao, although the future of the two is yet to be decided.
