Manny Pacquiao with trainer Buboy Fernandez during his Thursday training at Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Wendell Alinea/MP Promotions
MANILA, Philippines—Buboy Fernandez is all in on a potential Manny Pacquiao comeback especially since the country is longing for an active world boxing champion.
It’s been almost a year since Pacquiao announced his retirement following his stunning loss to Yordenis Ugas.
But Fernandez has no doubt that Pacquiao can still hang with the best of the best at welterweight, a division that the Filipino ring icon dominated for many years.
“Why not? Para magkaroon ulit tayo ng world champion kasi wala tayo ngayon kahit isa,” Fernandez, one of Pacquiao’s closest friends and longtime trainer, said Wednesday.
(Why not? So that we will have a world champion. We currently don’t have a single one.)
“Iba kasi pag sinabing Manny Pacquiao ang lalaban,” he added.
(It’s just different when it’s Manny Pacquiao who’s fighting.)
Fernandez also doesn’t see Pacquiao—even in his advanced age at 43 coupled with the long layoff—having a hard time getting back into top form.
“Madali lang naman kasi sakanya na ibalik yung stamina niya at i-develop.”
(It’s easy for him to get his stamina back and develop it.)
Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division champion, is slated for an exhibition fight against South Korean YouTuber and martial artist DK Yoo in December.