Manny Pacquiao comes out of retirement to chase WBC belt vs. Barrios

Manny Pacquiao (left) and Mario Barrios (right). | Inquirer and Instagram photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is lacing up his gloves once more—not just for the upcoming Philippine midterm elections, but also to chase boxing glory yet again.

The 46-year-old legend will come out of retirement on July 19 to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC world welterweight title in a high-stakes bout reportedly set in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The fight was confirmed earlier this month by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman during an event in Saudi Arabia, sending shockwaves through the boxing world.

Pacquiao, who is also seeking a return to the Philippine Senate in the May 12 elections, is proving he’s far from done inside the ring.

He has not fought since his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2019 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas—a bout for the WBA (Super) world welterweight title. Ugas had stepped in as a late replacement for Errol Spence Jr., and the defeat prompted Pacquiao to announce his retirement and focus on a 2022 presidential campaign.

This comeback pits Pacquiao against a much younger opponent in the 29-year-old Mario Barrios, a Mexican-American boxer and current WBC welterweight champion.

READ: Manny Pacquiao visits ailing former trainer Jonathan Penalosa Sr.

Despite the age gap, Pacquiao brings a wealth of experience to the ring—72 fights, 62 wins (including 39 by knockout), eight losses, and two draws in a legendary career that made him the sport’s only eight-division world champion.

Barrios, on the other hand, holds a 29-2-1 record with 18 knockouts. His most recent bout ended in a split draw against Abel Ramos in a WBC interim title fight in Arlington, Texas. He was later elevated to full champion status after Terence Crawford vacated the title to move up in weight.

Pacquiao’s last victory came in 2019, when he defeated Keith Thurman via split decision to capture the WBA (Super) welterweight crown—a title he eventually lost to Ugas.

Despite his experience and championship pedigree, Pacquiao’s age has caught up with him, which was evident in his struggle against Ugas.

He was also scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the 39th Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC)-San Miguel Brewery (SMB) Cebu Sports Awards last April 26 at SM Seaside City Cebu. However, he was unable to attend due to his tight schedule and instead sent his speech via video.