For the last few weeks, one person has been the cynosure of all the discussions, talks, and videos: Manny Pacquiao. Cutting short his four-year retirement, the boxing great decided to become the oldest welterweight champion. But his enthusiasm has met with a string of concerns. He’s 46. Diehards are afraid. Instead of a belt, he’s bracing himself for tormenting pain. In the bargain, however, the narrative seems to have forgotten his opponent. Mario Barrios is a WBC welterweight champion who’s about to defend his belt from one of the greatest sporting icons.

Across certain sections, there’s a belief. To fulfill his championship dreams, Pacquiao picked Barrios for a particular reason. Given the way he received his belt, his resume, and lack of skills make Barrios a safe bet. In fact, the doubts are so deep that they bothered Barrios as well. For a moment, it offended him. In an interview, the San Antonio-born champion, who famously lost to Gervonta Davis four years ago, weighed in on the unfavorable portrayal. He understands the stakes involved.

Barrios was speaking with a bunch of reporters. Minutes after he spoke about his training camp, one asked, “Mario, he’s been a part of a big fight; it’s a big event. Hey, look, this is all about business regardless of who the man is, but it must have felt a little bit different, you know? We haven’t seen Manny Pacquiao in years—in four-plus years—so for him to come back with all his accolades…”

So Barrio replied that initially he was quite excited. He will be fighting Manny Pacquiao. “It’s a tremendous honor,” he felt. But then doubts crept in. “I don’t know whether to take it as, like, respect or disrespect,” he said. “You know, because, like, he wanted me,” stated Mario Barrios. Of all the welterweight champions, why did Pacquiao choose him?

Nonetheless, he reconciled. “I think it’s great for boxing, you know, he’s trying to do something that not a lot of fighters have, and, you know, as a fighter, I respect that,” Barrios said. Perhaps Pacquiao and others understand why he holds a championship belt.

Earlier in the interview, Barrios made it clear. He has all the respect for Manny Pacquiao. But come fight night, he will replace the admiration with ‘bad intentions.’

Mario Barrios – between opportunity and overlook

Mario Barrios is a well-spoken, humble man. Despite setbacks and doubts over his future, he has been able to hold his own in a highly competitive sport. Apart from his youth, he enjoys a visible size-reach advantage over Manny Pacquiao. But are they sufficient to push him back?

Still, many experts feel that Barrios is the right match for Manny Pacquiao. Former champion and boxing analyst Sergio ‘The Latin Snake’ Mora acknowledged the risks Pacquiao is taking. However, he commented, “I don’t think he’s going to be at any danger of risking his health or anything like that, especially against Mario Barrios…. Pacquiao is going to be just fine against Mario Barrios.”

It’s the sort of assumption that Mario Barrios currently faces.

One thing is for sure. If he defeats Pacquiao, then the San Antonio-born champion’s resume will simply glitter. The bigger question is what he does next. Will he fight Brian Norman Jr. or Devin Haney? It’s contests like these that would actually cement Mario Barrios’ place in history.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Manny Pacquiao disrespected Mario Barrios by picking him up specifically?