MANILA, Philippines – Does Manny Pacquiao, now 40, still belong in the ring?

That question will be answered as the Filipino boxing icon dangles his World Boxing Association regular welterweight belt against American Adrien Broner on Saturday, January 19 (Sunday, January 20, Philippine time). 

It will be Pacquiao’s first defense of the title he won via a seventh-round technical knockout of Lucas Matthysse in July. He will fight at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas for the first time since 2016. 

Pacquiao’s camp is confident the sport’s only 8-division world champion will pull through with the victory. 

Cornerman Buboy Fernandez sees a fourth-round KO for Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) while longtime trainer Freddie Roach believes that he has rediscovered his killer instinct. 

Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) is no different with his soaring belief in himself. 

The 29-year-old declared he would always beat Pacquiao, and believed a win against the Filipino would erase the controversies that had hobbled him a couple years back. 

There’s just concern, though, regarding Broner’s long, thick beard come fight night. 

Amid all the hullabaloo, Pacquiao just wants to win convincingly, be it through a decision or a knockout. He also said he doesn’t underestimate Broner. 

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Pacquiao vs Broner – Curated tweets by RapplerSports

– Rappler.com