Manny Pacquiao to return from retirement for one fight

Four years on from announcing his retirement, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is reportedly readying himself for a return to the ring.

The 46-year-old is boxing’s only eight-division world champion and is ranked among the greatest that the sport has produced. He last fought in 2021, when he lost a unanimous decision against Yordenis Ugas.

On Thursday ESPN reported that Pacquiao is set to return to fight Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship. Speculation of a return is nothing new, and Pacquiao did take part in an exhibition boxing match against Rukiya Anpo last summer. This latest news, however, is something more substantial.

Last week WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Boxing King that they were planning for Pacquiao to take on Barrios in a title fight. The Philapino fighter has been cleared to take part by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“At this time, Mario Barrios is going to face Manny Pacquiao in July,” Sulaiman revealed. “That’s a tremendous fight.”

Barrios has a professional record of 29-2-1, with eight wins coming by way of KO. The American fighter won the interim WBC title in September 2023 and was promoted to full champions in June 2024.

The Pacquiao-Barrios fight looks set to be one of the most watched boxing events of the year, potentially the final chance to see one of the all-time greats in action. The fight date is set for July 19 in Las Vegas, with global viewers able to watch via PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view.

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