REPORT | Manny Pacquiao booked for fall return against WBC champion Mario Barrios

It seems that boxing legend Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring later this year against Mario Barrios.

‘PacMan’ has been out of the boxing ring since a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. Following that defeat, Manny Pacquiao retired from professional boxing. However, much like his rival Floyd Mayweather, he has continued to compete in exhibition contests. Pacquiao is currently set to compete in another exhibition later this year in the RIZIN ring.

However, Manny Pacquiao has also routinely shown interest in returning to professional boxing. Earlier this year, his advisor stated that a bout with rising star Conor Benn was in the works. However, it seems that the 45-year-old has instead found a new opponent in the form of Mario Barrios. According to several reports, a fight between the two has been in the works for a while.

Furthermore, according to a report from World Boxing News, a deal for Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios is currently in place. For his part, ‘El Azteca’ is riding a three-fight winning streak last defeating Fabian Maidana in May. Following that victory, Barrios was elevated to the WBC welterweight champion. Meaning, that the boxing legend will get the chance to become a titleholder at a staggering 45 years old.

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45-year-old Manny Pacquiao set for boxing return against Mario Barrios

In an interview with World Boxing News, Mario Barrios’ manager Bob Santos commented on the rumored bout. There, he confirmed that talks were ongoing with Manny Pacquiao and his team. According to Santos, the only issue at this stage is the little details that they need to iron out.

“Once Mario was getting elevated, Pacquiao wanted to make history, and Barrios is the guy that he wants to fight for the WBC title,” Bob Santos stated in the interview when asked about Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios. “We’re all moving forward, no doubt about it. It’s just a matter of putting together where the fight is gonna be and all the little details here and there. But Manny wants the fight, and Mario wants the fight.”

In the event that Manny Pacquiao defeats Mario Barrios, ‘PacMan’ would set the record for the oldest welterweight champion ever. The 45-year-old would break his previous record of 40, when he defeated Keith Thurman to win WBA gold in July 2019.

What do you make of this boxing news? Do you want to see Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios?