Boxing hall of famer Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring on July 19 to face Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 46-year-old challenges the San Antonio native for his WBC welterweight title. The eight-division champion from the Philippines says he aims to become the “oldest champion and retire as a champion.”
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) hasn’t fought since falling short against Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. Ahead of his bout with 30-year-old Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs), the 46-year-old says he still feels fast, strong and believes he could fight on for “a couple more years.”
“Boxing is my passion. I’ve missed the sport,” Pacquiao said during a media workout at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles. “These last four years have been good for my body, because I’ve been doing this a long time. I feel like my passion and fire are back, and you can see it in my work.”
“Being in the Hall of Fame and being inducted this year means a lot to me. It’s an honor. I’m thankful to all the fans and everyone who has supported me. My goal is to be the oldest champion and retire as a champion.”
“I’ve made adjustments in training camp to make sure that I’m focused on recovery. I’m back now, so I’m taking it one fight at a time and doing everything I can to face the challenge in front of me. I’m not worried about any future plans.”
“This fight is very important to me because it’s history. I believe I’d be the first Hall of Famer to win another world title, and I’d also break my own record as the oldest welterweight world champion.”
‘Two or three more fights’
“When I retired in 2021, it wasn’t a good feeling because I had it in my heart and my mind that I can still fight. I’ve always known that I could still work hard and dedicate myself and focus on training. I’ve rested, and now I’m back.”
“I feel fast, and I feel like the strength is still there. I can still do what I’ve done before in training. If anything, my team right now is trying to slow me down and make sure I get enough rest. I still want to push myself every day, but I know that I have to listen to my team.”
“I think I have two or three more fights left. I feel like I could do this for another couple of years. But I’m just taking it one at a time.”
“I had a lot of distractions and problems before the Yordenis Ugas fight. But right now, I’m 100%, and there are no distractions. I’m just training and completely focused on the fight.”
Among the bouts featured on the Pacquiao vs Barrios undercard, Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) of West Palm Beach, FL faces Australia’s former champion Tim Tszyu (23-2, 18 KOs) in a rematch. Fundora puts his WBC super welterweight title on the line.
An all-Mexican super lightweight rematch pits former champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (27-3-1, 18 KOs) against Angel Fierro (23-3-2, 18 KOs). The PPV opener is a featherweight matchup between two-division champion Brandon Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) of Weslaco, TX and former title challenger Joet Gonzalez (27-4, 15 KOs) of Glendora, CA.