Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya believes Manny Pacquiao can beat Mario Barrios on his return to the ring

Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was widely expected to make a return to boxing after a four-year hiatus—and the former eight-division world champion recently 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).

This will be Pacquiao’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.

Many are concerned about Pacquiao’s decision, considering that he is now 46 years old and will be facing a much younger and dangerous opponent in Barrios. Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya—who has fought Pacquiao in the past—is one of those expressing concern for the Filipino superstar’s health.

“I wish him all the best. Obviously, the truth is the truth—he is not the same Pacquiao that fought me, that fought the greats. I wish him the best, be careful up there. He’s not young like he used to be. But I’m sure he still has that power, so anything can happen,” De La Hoya said in an interview with Seconds Out on May 12.

Manny Pacquiao at 46 faster than any 26 year old in the world pic.twitter.com/O48p9cTZd8

— Elie Seckbach (@Seckbach) May 21, 2025

However, just nine days later, the 52-year-old softened his stance in a different interview, stating that he believes Pacquiao can beat Barrios to win the WBC welterweight title.

“I wish him all the best. Can he do it? Absolutely. Manny Pacquiao is a legend. I think he can do it—absolutely. I mean, it’s not gonna be easy, but I think he can do it. Yeah,” he added.

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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