Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has come out of retirement and will defy the odds by returning inside the boxing ring at the age of 46 when he exchanges leather with Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship this coming Saturday in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao officially announced last Wednesday that he will be coming out of retirement and making a return to boxing.
“I am back,” Pacquiao posted on social media. “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!” he added.
The Philippine superstar was last in the boxing ring in 2019 when he won the WBA super welterweight title by defeating Keith Thurman in a split decision. Pacquiao, who also happens to be a politician after serving as a senator and was running for presidency in his country from 2016 to 2022, has a decorated 26-year
history of boxing.
For instance, Pacman became the only boxer to win 12 world titles in eight different weight classes, including flyweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight.
When he defeated Thurman for the WBA super world championship, he became the oldest fighter to win the title at age 40. Pacquiao is also a four-time welterweight champion.
One of the highlights of his esteemed career is definitely his record-breaking showdown against Floyd “Money” Mayweather in Las Vegas a decade ago.
The unification fight that saw Mayweather snatch the title from Pacquiao in a unanimous decision broke the record for the most pay-per-view buys in the history of boxing with 4.6-million buys.
Now, fast-forward 10 years, Pacquiao will be returning inside the boxing ring, maybe with a point to prove and surely with the intention to become a world champion once again.
We take a look at the records of both fighters, interesting facts, and some of the things to look forward to in what is expected to be a blockbuster for boxing lovers.
Manny Pacquiao
Overall, Pacquiao has a record of 62-8-2, with 39 of those fights being knockouts – something that his opponent will be wary of.
But, considering that the pride and joy of the Philippines has been out of action for some time, he is expected to lack the footwork, movements and explosiveness that made him such an iconic boxer.
The 46-year-old has a reach of 67 inches and a height of 5-foot-5. Pacquiao was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on last Sunday, and should he beat Barrios, he’ll become the first fighter to win a world title as a Hall of Famer.
Mario Barrios
However, standing in the way of Pacquiao’s fairytale victory is a Barrios who is very much younger and active, with his last match being in November 2024 against Abel Ramos.
The Mexican-American boxer is 29-3 in his career with 18 wins by technical knockout.
Barrios is known to be a high-volume puncher, a technically sound boxer who is lanky and stands at 6 feet tall.
“Every fight and main event I have been in has prepared me for Manny Pacquiao. This is my moment. I’m defending my title against a legend,” Barrios said during the build-up to the fight recently.
