Legendary pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao has officially announced his return from retirement to face Mario Barrios, the current WBC world welterweight champion.
The 46-year-old boxing icon last competed professionally in 2021, where he lost a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas and consequently forfeited his WBA title.
Since his last pro bout, the celebrated Filipino figure has primarily dedicated his time to his political career. However, he did participate in an exhibition match against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo last year.
During that exhibition event, Pacquiao, who holds a professional record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts, appeared to show signs of his age, being caught by shots he would typically have dodged with ease in his prime.
Despite this, the aggressive southpaw was recently granted a somewhat controversial fifth-place ranking by the WBC, paving the way for this significant fight against Barrios, whose record stands at 29-2-1 with 18 knockouts.
Confirming earlier widespread reports, it has now been officially confirmed that the two boxers will meet on July 19th. The bout is scheduled to headline a Premier Boxing Champions event at the prestigious MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao shared the highly anticipated news himself on social media platform X today, stating: “I’m back. 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!”
Barrios secured his WBC interim title by convincingly outpointing Ugas in 2023 and was subsequently elevated to `full champion` status before his match with Abel Ramos.
In his November encounter with Ramos, the 30-year-old Barrios revealed some defensive vulnerabilities but also demonstrated impressive durability and fundamental boxing skills in what became an exciting 12-round contest.
That fight concluded in a draw, allowing Barrios to retain his WBC championship, though it also arguably solidified his reputation among some observers as one of the less dominant champions in the 147-pound division.
Nonetheless, considerable concern has been voiced by many regarding the potential health risks associated with Pacquiao`s decision to return to the ring, regardless of who his opponent may be.
