Pacquiao's last professional fight was in June 2021 when he lost to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision for the WBA world welterweight championship. Since then, he's kept busy with exhibition matches against DK Yoo in 2022 and Rukiya Anpo in 2024.
For his comeback, Pacquiao has reunited with his long-time trainer Freddie Roach. The pair worked together for 16 years, covering 34 fights, before parting ways in 2018. Now they're back together, aiming to make history once again.
If Pacquiao wins, he'll break his own record as the oldest world welterweight champion in boxing history. He set the current record at 40 years old when he beat Keith Thurman for the WBA world welterweight title in 2019.
Terence Crawford, one of boxing's top stars, shared his thoughts on the fight with Sporting News Australia:
"Mario Barrios is a great match-up for Manny Pacquiao, and I think at this age it's a 50-50 fight for Manny Pacquiao."
Crawford himself is gearing up for a big challenge in September. He'll move up two weight divisions to face Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super-middleweight championship, which will be the toughest test of his career so far.
The boxing world will watch closely as Pacquiao attempts to prove he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level. His fight against Barrios will show if the Filipino icon can recapture the magic that made him a champion in eight different weight classes.