MANILA – Boxing great Manny Pacquiao is coming out of retirement to fight San Antonio native Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight crown in July.
Pacquiao’s team made the announcement on Thursday, just hours after he conceded defeat in a bid for another seat in the Philippines Senate.
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“His comeback aligns with his scheduled induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June, capping a storied sports legacy that continues to inspire millions of Filipino people,” the press statement said.
It was not clear if the fight at a Las Vegas venue to be decided is a one-off or if 46-year-old Pacquiao is coming out of a four-year retirement to box full-time. Asked to clarify, his communications officer Joey Hernal said the media should wait for Pacquiao’s own press conference.
One of the biggest headlines last summer was the rumor that Pacquiao was coming out of retirement to fight again. Pacquiao’s chosen opponent would have been Barrios to fight for Barrios’ WBC interim welterweight belt that he held at the time.
The talks started, but a deal could not be worked out. Barrios said he had to move forward for one last fight to close out 2024.
In a November 2024 interview with KSAT, Barrios said both sides began discussing a fight, but a deal was not worked out at that time.
“The opportunity to step in there with a legend like that is huge,” Barrios told KSAT in November 2024. “I’ve been watching him since I was a kid. The fact that Pacquiao and Barrios was even being mentioned: I couldn’t really even put it into words. The possibility (of) seeing this man across the ring from me, this other legend. Things fell through with negotiations, figuring the details out, but it’s still definitely a fight I would welcome.”
Barrios retained the WBC welterweight belt with a draw against Abel Ramos last November in Arlington, Texas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.