Top boxing trainer Jamie Moore fears for Manny Pacquiao in his much-anticipated comeback

Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was widely expected to return to the ring after a four-year hiatus—and the former eight-division world champion has now 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 Twitter).

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

Former British professional boxer and current top boxing trainer Jamie Moore is a respected voice in boxing circles. The 46-year-old, who is the same age as Pacquiao, expressed concern in a recent media interaction, stating that he doesn’t see the Filipino legend beating a younger opponent like Mario Barrios.

“I will be honest with you, I’m not a big fan of the fact that Manny Pacquiao is fighting again. I think he is one year younger than me, and it’s a dangerous game at the best of times—never mind when you’re 46 years old. I really don’t see Manny beating Mario Barrios. I just think he is way past his best, and it’s a young man’s sport. But if the unbelievable happened and Manny won…” Moore said.

Even at 46 years old, @MannyPacquiao‘s hands still fly like they’re moving at 2️⃣❌ speed. 😮‍💨#PacquiaoBarrios | July 19 | PBC PPV on @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/fuONwvBJfN

— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) June 16, 2025

Moore is currently training Jack Catterall, who is preparing to face Harlem Eubank in his WBC welterweight debut on July 5. A win for Catterall could make him a prime contender to face Pacquiao in the near future.

Despite wanting Catterall to eventually win a world title, Moore remains uncertain about the prospect of his fighter facing a senior like Pacquiao in the ring.

“I would be really on the fence about it because, ultimately, my number one objective would be to get Jack Catterall a world title. But I wouldn’t feel comfortable going in there with someone like Manny Pacquiao at this stage of his career. He could get hurt, and I wouldn’t want to be in the opposite corner if that potentially happened.

“It’s just a dangerous sport, and Pacquiao is an absolute legend. I have the utmost respect for him—hence the reason why, if that scenario did unfold, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with it. But also, I want Jack to win a world title, so it would be a hard position to be in,” Moore concluded.

Pacquiao has participated in 72 professional fights, winning 62. A win against Barrios would give him his 13th welterweight title and his first since capturing the World Boxing Organization (WBO) belt in 2009, when he defeated Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto via 12th-round technical knockout.

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 Pacquiao vs. Barrios fight will reportedly stream via PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view.

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