Former World Boxing Council junior lightweight champion Rene Barrientos yesterday picked International Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao to win over featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera in their scheduled ?Clash of the Titans? on Sunday, Manila time, at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas.
In an interview with Viva Sports, Barrientos, who won the world title with a masterful performance against Mexican Ruben Navarro on Feb. 15, 1969, said: ?Both fighters are hard hitters but this is the game of the young ones and with Manny?s condition, he should win.?
Pacquiao is 24 while Barrera, nicknamed ?The Baby Faced
Assassin,? is 29. The former world champion, himself a southpaw like Pacquiao, said he would give the edge to the boxer ?who connects first? and indicated Pacquiao should beat Barrera to the punch although he expressed some concern over Pacquiao?s poor defense.
