Three-division world boxing champion Abner Mares who hasn’t fought since 2018, was looking forward to get back into the ring soon, but the coronavirus outbreak put a halt to his plans and now the 34-year-old like many other boxers is in quarantine staying at home.
Mares who also works as a boxing analyst and host on INSIDE PBC BOXING on FOX, put on his analyst hat in an interview from home with Fight Hub TV.
Mares who recently cut ties with Robert Garcia and is now training under Manny Robles, was asked about the possibility of Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao taking on his former stablemate Mikey Garcia and Mares broke it down picking Pacquiao to win but says Garcia has a chance to win.
“I think it’s a really good fight,” Mares told Fight Hub TV on the possible Pacquiao vs. Garcia bout. “I know when they asked me this a couple of weeks ago, I said Manny Pacquiao, and I’m still going to pick Pacquiao. But with saying that, I’m not saying Mikey Garcia doesn’t have a chance – he does, because he is a fighter who thinks a lot in the ring like a Juan Manuel Marquez. He is not just a puncher who throws punches just because, he we will see what lands I’m gonna throw five and one lands I’m lucky. This is a fighter that is thinking of the punches he is throwing before he throws them, knowing that they are going to land and we saw that with Jessie Vargas, he was being really patient. I thought he was losing the fight, but he was patient, and not many fighters have that. He knew that hook right hand was going to get there and was going to do damage and it did, so eventually they stopped the fight.
Mares believes Pacquiao’s highly offensive style could give Garcia his best shot to win with a timed counter like Juan Manuel Marquez when he knocked out Pacquiao in their fourth meeting.
“So with that said, I think Manny Pacquiao he is a volume puncher, he is really explosive but sometimes he forgets about his defense and commits and opens up, and he is a target,” said Mares. “Let’s not forget against Marquez, that Marquez timed him. He timed him perfectly for him to come in and got him with that overhand right. I see Mikey Garcia doing that because he is a timing type of fighter. He times you while he has that one-two on deck.
Even though he gives Garcia a chance to win with his timing, he still believes the 41-year-old Filipino WBA welterweight champion will win because of how he performed against Keith Thurman and thinks its a Pay-Per-View worthy event.
“Again, I’m favoring Manny Pacquiao because of his volume and because of what he did with Keith Thurman that surprised me. That surprised a lot of people especially at this time in age with the young fighter that he eat, but definitely Mikey Garcia has a chance, which makes it a really exciting fight. Without a doubt it’s a Pay-Per-View fight, Mexico vs. Philippines, I mean who is not going to buy that PPV?”
Pacquiao vs. Garcia would revive the great Philippines versus Mexico boxing rivalry that made Manny Pacquiao a ring legend when he fought all the great Mexican featherweights Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez in action packed fights.
