LAS VEGAS - Sean Gibbons believes that the upcoming World Title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios will be a match that will be talked about in years to come.
Especially as a win here for Pacquiao at age 46 would put him in an exclusive group of boxing greats who have valiantly fought off 'Father Time' up until their late 40s.
READ: Pacquiao takes on a tall Barrios, but bigger foe is Father Time
As things stand now, the Filipino boxing great already holds the record as the oldest individual to win the welterweight crown at 40 years old, a mark he’ll try to surpass with a win against Barrios on Sunday (Manila time) at the MGM Grand,
“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,” explained Gibbons, president of MP Promotions.
“A fighter trying to accomplish something that’s never been done. At 46 years old, breaking his own record that he had at 40 years old. So as we sit in the moment, it’s hard to digest — this is big.”
Only two fighters in boxing history won world titles at age 45 and above.
The late George Foreman regained the heavyweight crown at age 45 with a 10th round knockout of Michael Moorer in 1994.
Twenty years after, a 49-year-old Bernard Hopkins scored a 12-round split decision win against Beibut Shumenov in a unification match for the light-heavyweight titles of the world, making him the oldest fighter to ever win a boxing world championship match.
A win for Pacquiao would have him surpass Foreman as the second-oldest fighter to win a world title. Ironically, Foreman achieved his record at the MGM Grand, too.
“People gonna look back years and years from now the accomplishment that if he can win at 46 years old. It’s never been done, this unheard of, what he’s trying to accomplish,” said Gibbons.
And one thing going in Pacquiao’s favor against Barrios is his experience, having been in almost 70 fights as gleamed on his ring record of 62-8-2 with 39 KOs.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
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