Boxing

Tim Tszyu Makes Blunt Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios Fight Prediction

Australian star boxer Tim Tszyu didn't mince words with his Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight prediction.
Grant Young|
Tim Tszyu speaks during a May 31, 2025 press conference.
Tim Tszyu speaks during a May 31, 2025 press conference. | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

While there was already a lot of hype surrounding the July 19 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios for Barrios' WBC welterweight belt, excitement for this event was intensified once the fight's undercard came out and it included a rematch between reigning WBC and WBO super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora and Australian boxer Tim Tszyu.

Tszyu used to be the WBO super welterweight champion until Fundora defeated him during a bout in March 2024. This marked the first defeat of Tszyu's professional career, and caused a lot of people to jump off his hype train. The 30-year-old followed that loss up with another defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev (this time by TKO) in October, capping off a nightmare year for Tszyu.

However, Tszyu got back to his winning ways against Joseph Spencer in April 2025, which put him in a position to face Fundora again to potentially win his WBO title back (the WBC belt is not up for contention) in the co-main event of the Pacquiao vs. Barrios bout.

Tszyu spoke with the media after a press conference on June 3. And when asked his thoughts on the upcoming showdown between Pacquiao and Barrios, the Australian didn't mince words.

"I can't see Manny winning. I'll be honest with you," Tszyu said, per a YouTube video from Fight Hub TV. "Nah, I can't see it. I think age is a big factor, you know? Even though he's my favorite fighter and stuff like that, Mario Barrios is a beast. 30 years young, in the prime, going for a world title. It's a hard challenge for Manny."

When asked if he would be surprised if Pacquiao won, Tszyu said, "No, it wouldn't surprise me. That's the thing. Because he's Manny Pacquiao, you know? He's full of surprises."

Tszyu certainly isn't alone in thinking that Pacquiao being 46 years old is a significant disadvantage for him in this July fight. But Pacquiao could prove not only Tszyu, but the majority of the boxing community wrong if he can turn back the clock against Barrios.

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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.