Manny Pacquiao confirms return bout, aiming to ‘make history’
Manny Pacquiao will come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas, the 46-year-old Filipino boxer said on Wednesday.
“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,” Pacquiao wrote on Instagram.
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Pacquiao, who retired from boxing in 2021, served as a senator in his native Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He also ran for president in 2022.
Known for his fast hands and knockout power, Pacquiao struggled mightily in his final sanctioned fight, a unanimous decision loss against Yordenis Ugas for the WBA welterweight championship in 2021. He later competed in an exhibition boxing match in July 2024 against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo at Super RIZIN 3. Rumors of a return to boxing have followed him since that exhibition match, many of them tying him to a bout with Barrios.
Pacquiao is the only boxer to win world championships in a record eight weight divisions while he was also the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40 in 2019.
The southpaw, who has 62 wins, eight losses and two draws in a 72-fight career, was also elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
Barrios, a Mexican-American boxer, has 29 wins in 32 bouts, winning 18 by knockout. He last fought against Abel Ramos on the undercard of Jake Paul’s decision win over Mike Tyson last November. He won the interim WBC title in September 2023 when he outpointed Ugas and was elevated to full champion in June 2024 after Terence Crawford was designated as the WBC’s “champion in recess” after he moved up to 154 pounds to face Israil Madrimov. Barrios’ only two losses have come to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.
The co-main event will be a rematch between unified junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) and Tim Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs). The two previously met on March 30, 2024. Tszyu was originally scheduled to face Thurman, but an injury forced Thurman out less than two weeks before the scheduled date. Fundora stepped in as a short-notice replacement and won a split decision in an upset.
The card was originally slated for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but a previously scheduled Lady Gaga concert has pushed Pacquiao’s return to neighboring MGM Grand Garden Arena, where he made his stateside debut and won his first major world title against Lehlohonolo Ledwaba on June 23, 2001.
Information from Reuters was used in this report. ESPN’s Andreas also contributed to this story.
Source: espn.com