Legendary eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao will make an unexpected comeback Saturday night in Las Vegas to challenge Mario Barrios for his WBC welterweight title.
Pacquiao, who hasn’t fought since his 2021 defeat to Yordenis Ugas, won his first world title in 1998. The Hall of Famer was considered retired after his loss to Ugas, but self-admittedly couldn’t get rid of the boxing bug and now returns to the ring after a four-year hiatus.
Advertisement
“I was kind of skeptical,” Barrios told Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” about Pacquiao’s comeback. “I didn’t really think that it was something that was going to unfold. But the way everything has gone this year — here we are. Initially I was very surprised, but I did say if that was something he wanted to do, it would still be an honor [to fight him].”
“I can understand it [boxing purists being upset about the fight], but I think everything that Manny has given to the sport of boxing, he’s one of those legendary types of fighters. He can do that. But I can understand the criticism behind it.”
Pacquiao’s return has, understandably, come with significant condemnation. Not only is the 46-year-old attempting to fight a champion in his prime, but he is doing so off the back of a four-year layoff and a defeat in his most recent bout. And if that wasn’t bad enough, when Pacquiao competed in an exhibition match against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in July 2024, he looked a shell of himself.
Advertisement
“Four years [out of the ring] for a fighter in their prime is a lot, let alone for somebody at 46,” Barrios said. “They’re saying he’s faster, he’s rested. We have been preparing as if we’re fighting, not necessarily a prime Pacquiao, but a Pacquiao within the last 10 years. We have been looking at a lot of those types of fights. I’ll go in there and expect Manny to be on his Ps and Qs, and that’s exactly what we’ve been preparing for.”
Pacquiao is a +260 underdog on BetMGM to defeat Barrios. But for Pacquiao, entering a world title fight as a sizable underdog is nothing new. The Filipino southpaw’s first-ever big breakthrough came as a heavy outsider against pound-for-pound star Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001. Pacquiao was a big underdog when he beat up and stopped Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, and he was almost written off again when he opened as the underdog against Keith Thurman in 2019.
Barrios refuses to make the same mistake of overlooking Pacquiao, even if the Hall of Famer is more than a decade past his best. After all, Barrios was nearly the victim of an upset when he faced Abel Ramos this past November. Ramos had lost three out of his past five going into the bout, but produced an impressive display against the WBC champion and was awarded a draw for his efforts.
With news breaking Wednesday that the highly anticipated rematch between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will not take place on a Turki Alalshikh-backed show on Sept. 20, a win for Barrios on Saturday could open the doors for a mega-showdown with the British star.
Advertisement
Benn is ranked No. 3 in the world with the WBC, and with the Eubank Jr. rematch appearing to have fallen apart, Benn’s sights will likely be set on Barrios, as he explained to Uncrowned on Monday that winning a world championship remains a personal goal of his, and negotiations have taken place between Benn’s and Barrios’ teams in the past.
“I think [Benn is deserving of a world title shot],” Barrios said. “I’ve always said a fight with Conor Benn would be a very exciting fight. I had heard rumors that because of his ranking, it would even become like a mandatory or something. I would definitely entertain a fight with Benn. It would be a big fight for boxing, and that’s exactly what I’m looking to continue to bring to the sport.”
Pacquiao vs. Barrios provides a big commercial summer event for boxing in the United States, which will serve as a prelude to the biggest fight in recent years between pound-for-pound greats Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford on Sept. 13. Welterweight champion Barrios, like many boxing fans, is struggling to pick between the skill of Crawford and the size and power of Alvarez.
“I think [Crawford] does really well, actually,” Barrios said. “It’s hard to say, but I think it’s one of those fights you could play 50 times, and every [one of the 50 times could have a different outcome] because both of those dudes, ‘Canelo’ and Crawford, they bring so much to the table stylistically.
Advertisement
“Both of them are at a point in their career where they have accomplished so much, from jumping weight classes to challenging the best. I think this is one of those fights you only get once every century.
“I’m still leaning towards ‘Canelo,'” Barrios concluded.
Read the full article here
