Manny Pacquiao Seeks History Against Mario Barrios in His Return to the Ring
The legendary Manny Pacquiao is set to end nearly four years of inactivity and challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Pacquiao, through his social media, confirmed his return with a direct message: “I’m back! Let’s make history!”.
The last time Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) stepped into the ring, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. At the time, he was 42 years old. Now, at 46, he will face Barrios.
Pacquiao, who will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8, has not yet revealed his motivations for this return. However, the “story” he refers to could be breaking his own record as the oldest 147-pound welterweight world champion (40 years and 215 days). Only two boxers have won world titles at age 46 or older: George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins.
Foreman stood out for his power despite his age, while Hopkins relied more on technique and defense. Pacquiao, known for his speed and athleticism, has shown a decline in his performance in his last fight.According to CompuBox, in his six fights after turning 40, Pacquiao has thrown 10 fewer punches per round and landed around seven fewer punches per round compared to his previous 14 fights, with a record of 4-2 and only 1 KO.
Defeating Barrios will be a great challenge for the only eight-division world champion in boxing. Barrios, standing at 6 feet tall, will be the tallest opponent Pacquiao has faced in his professional career, which began in 1995. Furthermore, Barrios is 16 years younger than Pacquiao, the biggest age difference for the four-time welterweight champion.
Despite the formidable threat posed by Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs), time will be Pacquiao’s greatest opponent. The boxer has reunited with his legendary trainer Freddie Roach for this fight, with the aim of achieving victory. Boxing is a demanding sport, especially after an absence of almost five years and at an advanced age, where athleticism is fundamental.
Pacquiao, whose offense is based on speed and explosiveness, will need to find the fountain of youth to succeed. His ability to get in and out of danger, combined with rapid combinations from unusual angles, was key to his success. Only superior counterpunchers (Juan Manuel Márquez and Floyd Mayweather) were able to counteract his offensive bursts. As Pacquiao diminished in speed, it became easier for less skilled boxers, such as Jeff Horn, to overcome him.
Even so, there were times when Pacquiao surprised his opponents. Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman faced and lost to a 40-year-old Pacquiao, who was still explosive. That was six years ago.
In his most recent fight against Ugas, Pacquiao showed less explosiveness and his footwork was limited by Ugas’ jab and right hook. The fight with Barrios will focus on Pacquiao regaining his former form and overcoming his opponent’s physical advantages. Pacquiao will have to hope that his time away from the sport gives him a boost in his game. If he can’t find the angles and openings with his footwork, he’ll end up on the losing end of Barrios’ jab.
However, Barrios is not invincible. In his most recent fight, Barrios survived a sixth-round knockdown to achieve a split draw against Abel Ramos on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson undercard in November. Barrios tends to nullify his height and reach advantages by boxing “small” and having more success boxing on the inside. His knockout loss to Gervonta Davis in 2021 saw “El Azteca” become vulnerable by ducking into his shorter opponent’s range (Davis is 5 feet 5 ½ inches tall). Barrios is also a bit slower and can be outmaneuvered by a more agile opponent. Thurman, returning from a 931-day layoff, looked faster and sharper than Barrios when they faced each other in 2022.
Even so, Thurman was 33 at the time and in his physical and athletic prime. Pacquiao is far from that. It’s unlikely that in his mid-40s, Pacquiao will somehow be faster and more explosive now than he was against Thurman and Broner in 2019.
