Is Pacquiao fighting again? ‘I think so’

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At 46, Manny Pacquiao plans to be back in the ring again after showing flashes of his old form against Mario Barrios, the defending champion 16 yers his junior

MANILA, Philippines – The world has not seen the last of Manny Pacquiao the boxer, after all.

The 46-year-old legend intends to fight again after he fell short of capturing the WBC welterweight title as he figured in a majority draw with Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, USA, on Saturday, July 19 (Sunday, July 20, Manila time).

“I think so,” said Pacquiao when asked if he plans to continue his professional career that had been shelved for the last four years. “God willing. I know the fans are waiting.”

Already retired from boxing after his unanimous decision loss to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas in their clash for the WBA welterweight belt in 2021, Pacquiao came back to challenge Barrios.

He showed flashes of his old form as he brought the fight to the 30-year-old Barrios, although his efforts were not enough to win, with two of the three judges having it tied and the other giving the nod to the defending champion.

Pacquiao said he needs more preparation time if he fights again as he only began gearing up for Barrios after the midterm elections last May.

A part of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate endorsed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Pacquiao ran for a Senate return but lost.

“I only had two months training. What I need to do is continue my training. In a championship fight like this, I should train like four months, three months and a half so that the fight would be good. Because of the election in the Philippines, I started late for my training,” said Pacquiao.

“But it’s okay, I love the Filipino people and I love to give honor to my country.”

Pacquiao welcomes a rematch with Barrios, who has yet to win decisively since owning the WBC belt.

Barrios retained the title in his first defense following a split draw with Abel Ramos in November 2024.

“That’s the only legacy that I can leave behind, to give inspiration to the Filipino people, to be proud wherever we are,” said Pacquiao.

For Pacquiao, his return proves that grit and an unbending drive can go a long way, especially for someone like him who has Father Time knocking on his door.

After all, he nearly reset his record as the oldest welterweight champion and just missed out on becoming the first boxer to come out of retirement and win a world title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“It’s an inspiration to old boxers, when you have discipline and hard work, you can still fight,” Pacquiao said. – Rappler.com