Pacquiao hasn't had a professional fight since 2021 when he lost to Yordenis Ugas. After that, he retired from pro boxing but did a couple of exhibition matches. He fought Rukiya Anpo in 2022 and DK Yoo in 2024. Earlier this month, the WBC put Pacquiao back in their rankings.
The boxing world isn't sure what to think about Pacquiao's comeback. Some people worry about his age and the fact he hasn't fought professionally in a while. They're also wondering why he wants to fight again.
Teddy Atlas, a well-known trainer and analyst, shared his thoughts with Slingo. He's worried about why Pacquiao is coming back.
"I hope Manny Pacquiao is not fighting for money because the great Manny Pacquiao with all the greatness in his life and everything he's accomplished and done in the ring outside the ring, for his people, for the Filipino people, for the world, for the boxing fans."
Atlas thinks it wouldn't be fair if Pacquiao has to fight for money at this point in his life. He's also concerned about Pacquiao's physical condition and the risks involved.
"I have no problem with him jumping the line out of the respect for what he's done, the problem is where he is in his life physically and what that really means, and what it can mean, and the damage he can do to a sport he obviously loves if God forbid something could happen to Manny Pacquiao at this point, because of the things that I think we're honestly talking about."
The fight hasn't been officially announced yet, and the exact venue in Las Vegas isn't confirmed. USA Today reported on the planned match, but fans are still waiting for more details.