Manny Pacquiao ends retirement, officially announces fight vs. Mario Barrios for WBC welterweight title

Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was widely expected to make a return to boxing after a four-year hiatus—and now the former eight-division world champion has made it official.

Pacquiao took to social media to announce that he will come out of retirement to face World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Mario Barrios for the title in Las Vegas.

“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!” Pacquiao posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The delay in confirming the fight was due to Pacquiao’s bid to return to the Philippine Senate. However, things didn’t go well for the boxing icon, as he only managed an 18th-place finish with 10,397,133 votes—falling short of the top 12 who secured seats. Notably, he previously served as senator from 2016 to 2022, and two of his family members also failed in their bids to join the House of Representatives.

This will be the 46-year-old’s first professional fight since losing to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision in August 2021 for the World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight title. That title had been stripped from Pacquiao due to inactivity, and since then, he has only participated in exhibition bouts around the world.

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 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/KEscQEims0

— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) May 21, 2025

The decision to grant Pacquiao a direct title shot has stirred controversy within the boxing community. Critics have questioned why he is being granted an immediate title opportunity, especially since he hasn’t been officially ranked in years. Some have also accused WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman of favoritism, considering Pacquiao has not won a professional fight since 2019.

Currently, fighters such as Devin Haney, Souleymane Cissokho, Conor Benn, and Egidijus Kavaliauskas are ranked above Pacquiao. Others—like Raul Curiel, Thulani Mbenge, Eimantas Stanionis, Abel Ramos, and Alexis Rocha—have reportedly been pushed down the rankings to make way for the legendary Filipino boxer.

Barrios, on the other hand, has won 29 of his 32 fights, with 18 victories coming by knockout. The Mexican-American won the interim WBC title in September 2023 and was elevated to full champion in June 2024 after Terence Crawford moved up to 154 pounds to face Israil Madrimov. Barrios has only lost twice in his career—against Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.

The bout was initially scheduled for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena due to a prior commitment for a Lady Gaga concert.

The fight between Pacquiao and Barrios will reportedly be streamed via PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view.

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