Manny Pacquiao is planning to throw his hand again.
According to an ESPN report, the boxing legend is scheduled to return to the ring in Las Vegas on July 19th. Pacquiao, 46, announced his retirement from the competition in 2021.
Pacquiao (62-8-2) has yet to officially announce the announcement, but if he fights again, he will be added to one of the most impressive legacies in the history of combat sports. The Filipino star won titles in eight divisions and competed all the way from flyweight to light middleweight. In total, Pacquiao won 12 titles in the ring.
His match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2015 shattered the box office and involved countless memorable battles with Oscar de La Jolla, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Timothy Bradley, Eric Morales and others.
While away from the professional competition, Pacquiao was unfamiliar with headlines. He served as a Senator in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, and has long been active and aggressive in politics in his home country (he is now pursuing Senate location again). As for sports, he faced South Korean DK Yoo in 2022 and Rukiya Anpo in Japan in 2024, continuing to participate in exhibitions.
The president of WBC’s Mauricio Sulamain recently told Boxing King Media that Pacquiao was cleared for his comeback with hopes that 29-year-old Barrios would become his opponent.
Barrios (29-2-1) is seeking a second defense in the WBC title as he was promoted to incontroversial status in 2024.