Manny Pacquiao has shared the revelation that inspired his return to professional boxing after a four-year absence, as the 46-year-old prepares to face Mario Barrios.
On 19 July, Pacquiao will challenge Barrios, 30, for the WBC welterweight title, aiming to break his own record as the division’s oldest-ever world champion.
Pacquiao set the current record at 40 years old, when he beat Keith Thurman in 2019, while his most recent pro bout was a loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. The Filipino icon has not boxed professionally since, though he fought kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in an exhibition last summer.
“I like making history, it’s nice,” a smiling Pacquiao told ESPN this week. “I always stay in shape, but once I started seriously working out again, I realised that I still had that passion and ability in me.
“I went to my doctor and everything was perfect. My medicals came back great. I feel good, and I’m ready to do it again.
“I trained wrong for that [Ugas] fight. My legs began cramping, and I couldn’t move. He was a very slow opponent, and I couldn’t believe that I couldn’t move my feet or my legs. But for this camp, I’m back with my longtime trainer, Freddie Roach. The old Manny will be back.
“It’s hard to say right now [if I’ll box again after the Barrios bout]. It’s one fight at a time. Once I get through this, we can talk about the next fight.”
WBC rules state that all title holders must defend their belts against a ‘Qualified Challenger’, including any former WBC champion. As such, Pacquiao, who recently re-entered the WBC rankings at No 5, is eligible for a title shot against Barrios.
Pacquiao, who will enter the Las Vegas fight with Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) with a pro record of 62-8-2 (39 KOs), is widely considered one of boxing’s all-time greats. He is the sport’s only eight-weight world champion.
He is also known for his political endeavours in his home country of the Philippines, where he served as a senator from 2016 until 2022. He also ran for president in 2022 but was unsuccessful, and last month came up short in a senatorial race.
