Former world champion Amir Khan has given his verdict on Manny Pacquiao’s shock return fight against Mario Barrios on July 19.
Pacquiao is set to return for the first time in four years, getting an instant shot at the WBC World Welterweight Title. Khan has warned Pacquiao that it may have been best for him to swerve the fight completely.
Amir Khan Gives Verdict On Manny Pacquiao Return
It was announced in early May that boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was set to return to the boxing ring for the first time in four years.
Pacquiao hasn’t fought since he was outpointed by Yordenis Ugas back in August 2021, and his last win in the professional boxing ring was way back in July 2019.
Despite having a long layoff from boxing, where he served as Senate of the Philippines for six years from 2016-2022, Pacquiao was reinstated in the top 5 of the WBC welterweight rankings ahead of a proposed fight against Mario Barrios.
This came as a huge shock to the boxing world, with Manny Pacquiao’s next fight now officially confirmed for July 19 against Barrios for the WBC World Welterweight Title.
The eight-weight world champion will be a big underdog against the Mexican champion given his inactivity, age an time away from the sport.
One man who has weighed in with his verdict on Pacquiao’s return to the ring is former world champion Amir Khan. The British fighter believes that the Filipino legend would have been best to swerve the Barrios fight, instead opting to fight fellow retired fighters such as Khan himself.
Although Khan isn’t a huge fan of Pacquiao’s return, he does admit that there is still a chance he could win the fight if he can roll back the years. That being said, Khan does still question Pacquiao’s desire at 46-years-old.
Amir Khan Predicts Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios Fight
As well as giving his verdict on Manny Pacquiao’s controversial return to the ring, where ‘Pac Man’ aims to become the oldest welterweight world champion in boxing history, Amir Khan has also predicted the fight and given his opinion on how barrios vs Pacquiao might play out.
Khan has previously trained alongside both Pacquiao and Barrios, also sharing rounds of sparring with both men. Given the fact he has first hand experience in the ring with both men, albeit not an actual fight, Khan’s opinion on the Barrios vs Pacquiao fight is highly respected.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Khan revealed that Pacquiao would undoubtedly win the fight in his prime, but is leaning more to Barrios given the current circumstances of both fighters:
“It’s a fantastic fight for Mario, he needs that big fight. He’ll be paid well and fighting a legend like Manny Pacquiao, who would say no to that?
“When me and Virgil [Hunter] were training together, I used to spar with him quite a lot. He’s a very good boxer.
“I don’t know how much Manny’s got left in him. If they were in their prime, then I’d say all day Manny Pacquiao. But this could be a tricky fight for Pacquiao.
“He’s been out of the ring for a long time and has he still got the fire in his belly? Barrios, I’m sure he’s going to come in wanting to win this fight because it can change his life,” Khan concluded.
Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard has lent advice to Manny Pacquiao ahead of his shock return, and is a little more optimistic about Pac Man’s chances than Khan is. Time will tell how the fight plays out on July 19 in Las Vegas!
