ESPN’s Andreas Hale, confirming long-swirling rumors, reports that WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios will welcome the legendary Manny Pacquiao back to the ring atop a July 19th PBC on Prime PPV in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KO) hasn’t fought since dropping a competitive-but-clear decision to late replacement Yordenis Ugas in 2021, seemingly ending a 26-year career that saw him claim titles in an unprecedented eight separate divisions. Following the end of his six-year term in the Filipino Senate, he attempted to run for President in the 2022 election, only to place an extremely distant third behind Bongbong Marcos and Leni Robredo.
That setback sent him down the Floyd Mayweather path of bizarrely lucrative amateur bouts, starting with an easy victory over DK Yoo the following December. He subsequently signed with Rizin in 2023, but did not actually re-enter the ring until the following year; planned bouts with Muay Thai/Kickboxing great Buakaw Banchamek and Rizin fixture Chihiro Suzuki both fell through, leaving him to struggle through a contractually mandated draw against Rukiya Anpo.
“Pac-Man” looked, well, like a 45-year-old who’d boxed once in the previous half-decade. He had all sorts of issues with Anpo’s height, reach, and power, which bodes ill against another six-footer with reasonably heavy hands.
It’s a joke of a fight and, in my opinion, solidifies Barrios’ (29-2-1, 18 KO) reign as among the most egregious in the sport. He’s fought a grand total of zero mandatory challengers since upsetting Ugas in 2023, beating a half-checked-out Fabian Maidana in his first defense before drawing with Abel Ramos last November.
We’ll let you know if and when it’s official. Can’t wait to see how the press release tries to polish this turd.
