- Four years after his last fight, boxing great Manny Pacquiao has announced his return to the sport
- Pacquiao, who is the only boxer to win championships in eight divisions, retired from the sport in 2021 after losing a title shot match against Yordenis Ugas
Four years after his last fight, boxing great Manny Pacquiao has announced his return to the sport. Pacquiao, 46, posted on social media that he will face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios this summer in Las Vegas, United States.
The legendary boxer (62-8-2, 39 KOs) arrived in the United States a few days ago to begin his training camp ahead of the title bout. Pacquiao, who is the oldest welterweight champion, is now aiming to set the bar too high by winning the title again at the age of 46. He won the welterweight belt in 2019 when he beat Keith Thurman to clinch the WBA (Super) world title.
“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! #TeamPacquiao.” Pacquiao wrote on X.
Manny Pacquiao has announced that he will make a return to the ring this summer. Photo/ CNN.
Pacquiao, who is the only boxer to win championships in eight divisions, retired from the sport in 2021 after losing a title shot match against Yordenis Ugas. The WBC recently faced criticism after reinstating Pacquiao into their rankings at position five.
While responding to a post by renowned boxing promoter David Coldwell, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman defended the decision to reinstate Pacquiao by comparing the Filipino southpaw to International Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard when he returned from a nearly three-year retirement to fight for the middleweight title against Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1987.
“Remember Sugar Ray Leonard? My father, Jose Sulaiman, and the WBC were criticized for making his fight vs Hagler. Pacquiao has been licensed by Nevada and passed all medicals and as legendary WBC champion has been approved to fight by our organisation.” He wrote on X.
It’s good to note that there are significant differences between Pacquiao and Sugar Ray’s returns. Whereas Sugar Ray had retired on numerous occasions and was much younger, coming out of retirement at 30 years old to face Hagler, Pacquiao will be 46 by the time he steps back into the ring this summer.
Manny Pacquiao Son Excites Fans With
While the buzz around Manny Pacquiao’s return to boxing is catching up, attention of boxing fans has been drawn to a viral video of the boxing legend training with his son Emmanuel Pacquiao, popularly known as Jimuel. Fight Hub TV posted a video that started with Pacquiao and his team gathering at the Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles. Pacquiao’s son Jimuel is then seen shadowboxing in a basketball court with the veteran boxer and the other members of the team watching.
Pacquiao then stepped in and showed his son how to move faster by executing his famous speed drills. Jimuel is yet to start a professional boxing career but with an iconic figure like Pacquiao as a father, you can bet that he could have a bright future in the combat world. Jimuel describes himself as ‘an inspiring boxer, hopefully a singer’ on his YouTube channel. He has already faced several opponents as an amateur and recently recorded a big win over Patrick Reyes at the Las Vegas Spring Rumble in April.
Emmanuel Pacquiao is the son of legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao. Photo/ GMA Network.
While Pacquiao is way past his prime, the footage of him training has motivated his fans that he still has some potential to produce a moment of magic. The footage of the boxer training with his son left some fans speculating whether Jimuel will be on the undercard of his father’s fight.
Full details of the Manny Pacquiao fight are yet to emerge but we will ensure you’re on the know once they decide the date and exact venue.
