The Big Question: Who wins Manny Pacquiao vs Ryan Garcia?

Last week’s Big Question was one I personally liked a lot, asking who you thought had the higher upside between top welterweight prospects Vergil Ortiz Jr and Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

52 percent went with Ortiz, 48 percent for Ennis. I’m with the slight minority here personally and going with “Boots,” and that’s no disrespect to Ortiz. I think both those guys might have big, big careers, they’re two of the young fighters in boxing I’m most excited about these days.

This week, we turn our attention back to the big names, and to a developing situation that seems like, hey, maybe it’s gonna happen.

If you’ve missed anything, the quick rundown:

• A week ago, Ryan Garcia was a guest on “Jalen & Jacoby,” and teased a “huge” fight being negotiated that might make him put the Gervonta Davis idea to the side for now. He was asked if he meant Manny Pacquiao. He neither confirmed nor denied, but most importantly — and most clearly — did not deny.
• It was known that Pacquiao was still focused on a possible fight with UFC star Conor McGregor. But after McGregor’s loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 this past Saturday, it was reported that Pacquiao-Garcia talks were real.
• Also over the weekend, Possibly jumping the gun, possibly just slyly teasing it some more, Garcia had an Instagram post with fan-created art and indicated Pacquiao-Garcia was going to happen.

It’s not official, but things seem to be moving toward Pacquiao-Garcia becoming a reality. For Pacquiao, it’s a big fight to be made that wouldn’t see him coming in as a substantial underdog, like bouts against Errol Spence Jr or Terence Crawford would. The 22-year-old Garcia is talented and has the size to fight Pacquiao, whether it’s at 135 or 147 or 140 or whatever, he’s fast and can punch, but Pacquiao obviously has a metric ton of experience going for him. There’s nothing Ryan Garcia can do that Manny Pacquiao has not seen, and that’s whether you’re a believer in Garcia or not.

That said, Pacquiao is 42. He hasn’t fought since the summer of 2019. He has without question lost a couple steps; this makes him still very good last we saw, but he’s not the phenom of 2009, that guy’s long gone. It’s not a knock, he just got older. It happens.

Assume the fight happens at at least 140 pounds if not a bit north or even a full 147, as I cannot imagine Pacquiao is going to go down to 135 for this, he hasn’t fought at that weight in 13 years, when he smashed David Diaz to bits.

Does the age gap favor Garcia? Though his speed and power won’t be unseen to Pacquiao, is Manny now too old to handle what Garcia can bring? Or does the experience give Manny the big edge? Is Pacquiao still good enough, with too much skill and too many tricks of the trade, to be overcome by any physical advantages Garcia holds?