'Jordan of boxing': Longtime strength coach welcomes Pacquiao return
MANILA, Philippines — Another familiar face is back with Manny Pacquiao’s training team as the Filipino icon is again about to come out of retirement to take on welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
Australian Justin Fortune, who for years has served as Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, has also reported for duty at Pacquiao’s training base in Los Angeles.
He is ready to make sure Pacquiao, at 46 years old, will be in the best shape possible as he tries to buck the odds and snare Barrios’ World Boxing Council welterweight title in their fight reportedly penciled for July 19 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao and his team arrived in Los Angeles two days ago. The following day, the Filipino southpaw immediately buckled down to work, reuniting with Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym for a light workout, brushing off jet lag.
“He’ll feel the jetlag tomorrow maybe,” Fortune told Los Angeles-based boxing video journalist Elie Seckbach.
Pacquiao will try to beat his own record that he set in 2019, when he defeated Keith Thurman to become the oldest welterweight world champion at 40 years old.
And it will be a tough task against Barrios, who at 30 years old and standing 5-foot-9 is in his prime and more active.
The shorter Pacquiao will once again have to rely on speed, which Fortune said is still there.
“He did lose a beat, still fast anyway. But we just have to set his (training) schedule because he’s not 25 anymore,” he continued.
Fortune then went on to drum up Pacquiao’s imminent boxing return, even likening the former eight-division world champion to Michael Jordan, considered the greatest basketball ever.
“He’s Pacquiao. He’s the Jordan of boxing. Simple as that. He’s that famous. And boxing needs him,” he said.
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