By Pat Barry once again finds himself in the news for the wrong reasons following a Rose Namajunas fight, with many fans critical of Barry’s work in the corner during Namajunas’ loss to Manon Fiorot last weekend. While defenders have been in short supply, a recent appearance at the Venice Film Festival by still-acclaimed film director Woody Allen provided an opportunity to show Barry he wasn’t without supporters.
“The criticism of Pat is wrong,” Allen said when asked about the noteworthy recent sporting news. “He wasn’t kissing her when she was a child. She didn’t even relent to his pursuit until after she had turned 18. What’s wrong with that? It is difficult to understand that a person could be in trouble just for dating someone who was a child half their age when they met.”
Barry also received a boost from Namajunas who pushed back on claims Barry was responsible for the absence of Trevor Wittman, broadly considered among the best coaches and strategists in the sport, who was not at the fights to provide mid-bout adjustments. The former champion insisted that was not the case, so it’s important to remember Wittman’s absence does not belong on any list of things wrong with Pat Barry.
