By Edward Chaykovsky
Trainer Abel Sanchez, best known for his work with IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, believes eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao will return very strong on November 5th at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao will challenge WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10KOs), who picked up the vacant title back in March with a stoppage win over previously undefeated Sadam Ali.
Pacquiao was in the ring back in April, when he dominated Tim Bradley over twelve rounds to win a decision in their trilogy fight. The Filipino superstar retired after the fight, but a few months later he announced his comeback.
Sanchez feels Pacquiao, despite his age of 37, is still at the top of his game and ready for action. Some feel the bout is an interim-fight to work towards a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. - but Sanchez doubts anyone would buy that fight again.
"I think that he still has a lot left, I think that he’s still young in todays boxing. I think that he’s in with a guy that he should be able to beat. Jessie is a good fighter, he’s just not on the level of Manny Pacquiao. I don’t think that they can BS the public again and sell a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight again — at least I don’t think the public will buy it, at least I don’t. It can’t be any different than it was in the past, but I commend him for wanting to continue to train as hard as they do to stay at that level," Sanchez told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
As far as the fight in November, Sanchez feels confident that Pacquiao is not aged enough to the point where fights like Vargas can beat him.
"He’s going to beat Vargas, Vargas is not quite the fighter that Manny is. Manny is not past the point where guys like that can beat him," Sanchez said.
