Manny Pacquiao reveals his intense training regimen ahead of comeback fight against Mario Barrios

Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was widely expected to return to the ring 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 Twitter).

The 46-year-old has been training intensively for the fight and has reunited with longtime head trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Las Vegas. In a recent media interaction, the Filipino boxing icon opened up about his intense training regimen for his comeback fight, which includes 99 minutes of high-intensity training on a regular basis.

“The speed and power are always there. That’s what we focused on in this training camp. I feel good and I’m excited. I’m ready for the fight. We just have a little bit of adjustment in terms of recovering the body because it’s not like when you are young and can easily recover overnight. You need to have one day off for recovery sometimes,” Pacquiao said.

The people’s champ 🥊 @MannyPacquiao pic.twitter.com/ZqFcsBQcSh

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) July 16, 2025

“There is not too much difference in my camp compared to when I was younger. I’m trying to do my best—like what I did before when I was young. Working on the speed and power and the intensity of the training—just like what I did before—and especially last Saturday, when I did 33 rounds.

“33 rounds of sparring, doing mitts, and the heavy bag. Everything like that. And the speed bag. In total, it was 33 rounds, so I’m happy that I can still do the same as when I was young. I have the passion to train, to work hard—I still have that. I still have the fire in my eyes and in my heart. I’m excited for the fight,” he concluded.

A win would mark Pacquiao’s 13th welterweight title—and his first since winning the WBO belt in 2009, when he defeated Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto via 12th-round technical knockout. It would also break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history, a title he first claimed by defeating Keith Thurman in 2019 at age 40.

The bout was initially set for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena due to a prior booking 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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