Manny Pacquiao plans to return to professional boxing at 46 years old. The Filipino legend will face Mario Barrios on July 19, 2025, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the WBC world welterweight championship.
Pacquiao's last professional fight was a defeat against Yordenis Ugas in 2021. Since then, he's only participated in exhibition matches against DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo. Now, he's getting ready to step back into the professional ring.
Sugar Ray Leonard, a Hall of Fame inductee and five-division world champion, shared his thoughts on Pacquiao's comeback. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Leonard summed up Pacquiao's chances in five words: "Maybe he can do it."
Leonard expanded on the challenges Pacquiao might face:
"You know there's no one answer to that question, I mean, when I came back I didn't realise it was five years I've been out of the ring. You got to get used to being hit, you got to get used to being training that hard at that level, it's a lot of things, it's more mental, more psychological that it is physical. You have to have that heart, have that feeling, and you know what? Maybe he can do it, maybe he knows the right thing to do."
Leonard pointed out that coming back to boxing involves more than just physical preparation. The mental and psychological aspects play a crucial role. Pacquiao will need to get used to being hit again and train at a high level.
The comeback could be a big challenge for Pacquiao as he approaches his 47th birthday. If he succeeds, he'll write himself into the boxing history books once more. It's worth noting that Pacquiao has already given so much to the sport throughout his career.
The fight against Barrios will be a true test of Pacquiao's abilities at this stage of his life. Fans around the world will be watching to see if the Filipino icon can pull off another impressive performance in the ring.
