Manny Pacquiao has confirmed his widely-reported comeback, as he prepares to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title.
Pacquiao, 46, will fight in a professional bout for the first time since 2021, having most recently competed in an exhibition match last July.
In his last pro bout, the Filipino icon lost to Yordenis Ugas on points in Las Vegas, where he will fight 30-year-old Barrios. In last summer’s exhibition, he went the distance with kickboxer Rukiya Anpo.
“I’m back,” Pacquiao wrote on social media on Wednesday (21 May). “On July 19, I return to the ring to face WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Let’s make history! #TeamPacquiao.”
WBC rules state that all title holders must defend their belts against a ‘Qualified Challenger’, and this includes any former WBC champion. As such, Pacquiao, who has re-entered the WBC rankings at No 5, is eligible for a title shot against Barrios.
Pacquiao, widely considered one of boxing’s all-time greats, is the sport’s only eight-weight world champion. In July 2019, in his second-most-recent pro bout, he beat Keith Thurman to become the oldest welterweight champion in history aged 40. He will look to surpass his own record when he boxes Barrios.
Pacquiao is also known for his political endeavours in his home country of the Philippines, where he served as a senator from 2016 until 2022. He also ran for president in 2022 but was unsuccessful, and last week came up short in a senatorial race.
This week, Pacquiao’s former promoter Bob Arum expressed concern over “Pac Man”’s comeback. The Top Rank chief told The Ring: “I can’t say anything negative, because Manny meant so much to us and our company, but it seems really questionable that – at his age – he would put himself at risk by going into the ring with a champion fighter.
“He’s an amazing person, Manny Pacquiao, and if anybody can do it, he can do it. But I’m really concerned about it, given his age and his inactivity. But again, I will certainly be rooting for him, because he’s really a great guy who has meant so much to us as a company.”
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