Can Pacquiao do a ‘rare’ comeback?

MACAU – Legendary boxing commentator Larry Merchant had seen boxing champions come and go.

On Sunday here at Cotai Arena inside the sprawling Venetian Resort, the 82-year old boxing sage is hoping he won’t see the last of former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, now 34, is at the crossroads of his colorful boxing career after losing back-to-back, including a brutal sixth round knockout at the hands of his arch-nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez last year.

He can’t afford to lose to his younger challenger in 27-year-old former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios.

Pacquiao needs not only a win on Sunday but a convincing one to get his boxing career back on track and not lose his chance at a possible Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight down the road.

“It’s rare to see a veteran champion comes back after a brutal knockout,” Merchant told Philstar.com on Friday.  

“You’ll never be the same again. When you see someone getting knocked out like that, it’s hard to bring back the confidence,” Merchant added.

Read related story: Merchant not giving up on Mayweather-Pacquiao

Pacquiao had inflicted the same devastating blows to his opponents in the past that led to retirement. He knocked out Britain’s Ricky Hatton in the second round of their fight in 2009 and the English boxer was never been the same and eventually retired in 2012.

The man considered to be the boxing’s best color commentator had seen Pacquiao’s rise since his shocking victory against favorite Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001 and his fall to Marquez in December of last year.

“Maybe we have seen the best years of Manny Pacquiao.  He might not be as strong or as fast as before but he is still Manny Pacquiao,” Merchant said. “So, we’ll see.”

Against Rios, the fighting congressman from Sarangani, is still the heavy favorite.

But the Mexican-American challenger has bragged that he’ll be no punching bag and that his time has come.

For Merchant, Rios needs to be great on Sunday to back up his talk.

“Rios has to beat Pacquiao and show us what Marquez did was not just a fluke,” Merchant said.

(Editor’s note: This special coverage of the Pacquiao-Rios fight here in Macau is made possible by Cebu Pacific Air, why every Juan flies.)