Boxing

Manny Pacquiao Trainer's 7-Word Message To Old Age Critics Says It All

Manny Pacquiao's head trainer Buboy Fernandez only needed seven words to address criticism about Pacquiao being too old to fight.
Grant Young|
Former Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao speaks during a news conference on October 11, 2022.
Former Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao speaks during a news conference on October 11, 2022. | IMAGO / Newscom / Yonhap News

One of boxing's biggest stories over the past week or so is the fact that 46-year-old Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao, who has won 12 major world titles and was the only eight-division champion in the sport's history, will be coming out of retirement to fight reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios later on this summer.

While there's some excitement about Pacquiao returning to the ring from his devoted and loyal fan base, the announcement of his upcoming fight has also been met with a lot of apprehension and concern, This is owed to his age and the fact that he hasn't looked good in his two most recent fights, which were several years ago to this point.

And because Barrios is in the prime of his career, there's clear concern that this bout could have an ugly ending for a guy who many were hoping would simply ride off into the sunset, in terms of his boxing career.

The age-old adage is that the last thing that goes for an aging fighter is their power. Therefore, Pacquiao's supporters are hoping that his power will be an advantage over Barrios.

And this is the sentiment that Pacquiao's head trainer Buboy Fernandez shared when speaking with FightHype on May 19.

“Don't judge the number, judge the punch,” Fernandez said when asked about fans being concerned with Pacquiao still fighting at 46 years of age.

Only time will tell whether Pacquiao's punching power holds up against Barrios, and whether that's truly his only hope in this fight.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.