BATTERED and faultily trained.
These are the prime reasons that led to Manny Pacquiao’s debacle to Mexican Erik Morales last Sunday at the MGM Grand, said former World Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight champion Rene Barrientos.
“I think Pacquiao was over-trained going into the fight,” said Barrientos, 62, who like Pacquiao was a 130-pound southpaw in his fighting years.
“I’ve seen his regimen where his abdomen was subjected to a brutal, non-stop barrage of punches by a big guy, who in my estimate, looked like a heavyweight,” said Barrientos in an exclusive interview with Sun.Star Cebu last Monday, after he paid a visit to Sun.Star sports columnist and longtime-friend Manny Oyson.
Barrientos is currently based in Cagayan de Oro City, where he engages in various real estate businesses.
“As a boxer myself, I can attest that when you train like that, what’s the inside of your belly gets all swollen up, and that will affect your stamina during a fight,” said Barrientos, referring to Pacquiao’s grueling, abdominal-strengthening workouts with conditioning coach Justine Fortune.
During sessions, Fortune – a 5-foot-9, 225lb Australian powerlifter, who also once held the Oceanic Boxing Association (OBA) heavyweight title – repeatedly punched short, rapid hooks to Pacman’s breadbasket. The regimen regularly ended with Pacquiao grimacing and shouting in deep pain.
“That was probably why Pacquiao’s punches looked like ‘powder-puff’ punches, because of the physical fatigue,” explained Barrientos, who won the WBC 130-pound belt over Mexican Ruben Navarro via 15-round decision in 1969.
“Roach was stupid to subject Pacquiao to that kind of workout,” said Barrientos, who declared firmly that Roach had more to do with Pacman’s loss than Morales.”
