Manny Pacquiao’s legendary trainer Freddie Roach admits he didn’t want the Filipino legend to come out of retirement

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

Pacquiao announced on social media 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).

This will be Pacquiao’s first professional fight since losing to Yordenis Ugas by a 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.

Many are concerned about Pacquiao’s decision, as he is now 46 and will be facing a much younger, dangerous opponent in Barrios. The Filipino legend has brought in longtime head trainer Freddie Roach for his upcoming fight, and given what the two have accomplished during their legendary careers, there is no doubt that much will be expected from them.

Although Roach will be in Pacquiao’s corner, he doesn’t necessarily agree with the 46-year-old coming out of retirement at this age.

Pacquiao 🤝 Roach

A LEGENDARY DUO 🐐 pic.twitter.com/0GnIuwUXF2

— All the Smoke Boxing (@atsboxing) May 23, 2025

“Now we are hearing rumors about him making the comeback and stuff like that. I really don’t want to see him make a comeback, because I think he has already been great. He’s already done everything he can do. But he says, ‘I just have one more in me.’ He says, ‘Yeah, I just want to show the world that I was for real and I am for real,’” Roach said in an interview with Boxing Scene.

“One day, he came down to a show nearby. He and his wife sat with me. The most unusual thing that happened that day was that his wife said she wants to see him in one more fight. I have never seen that. I have never heard or seen that from her before. You know, she was always saying ‘Retire. Retire. Retire.’ But we were sitting at ringside and she said, ‘I think he’s ready for that last fight.’

“And they asked me, ‘Who would you pick?’ I said, ‘We are going for one fight. We are going for the best fight.’ It’s somebody that he can dominate. And I think that he can do it,” Roach concluded.

The decision to grant Pacquiao a direct title shot has stirred controversy within the boxing community. Critics question why he is being given 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—to 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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