The legendary Manny Pacquiao will end a nearly four-year retirement when he faces Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19. On Wednesday, Pacquiao confirmed a previous ESPN report about his return to professional boxing.
“I’m back,” a post on Pacquiao’s X account read. “On July 19, I return to the ring to face WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Let’s make history!”
Confirmation of the bout was on hold while Pacquiao ran for a Senate seat in the Philippines, a position in which he previously served from 2016 to 2022. Pacquiao conceded the race on May 14 after a 13th-place finish.
Pacquiao, 46, became one of the biggest stars in the sport over the course of a career that saw him capture world titles across eight weight classes, making him the first fighter to achieve the feat. As Pacquiao piled up championship belts, he became a rival to fellow superstar Floyd Mayweather, with years of failed negotiations for a fight until the pair finally clashed in a disappointing 2015 bout that resulted in a Mayweather victory.
Despite the loss to Mayweather showing that Pacquiao was no longer the dangerous fighter he’d been in the two decades prior, Pacquiao would win two more world titles. He retired after losing his WBA welterweight title in a fight with Yordenis Ugás in August 2021.
Rumors of a Pacquiao return have popped up at various times since the Ugás loss, many times with Barrios as the potential opponent. Pacquiao has fought in exhibition fights since his retirement, most recently looking less than spectacular against former kickboxing champion Rukiya Anpo.
Barrios, 29, won the WBC interim welterweight title with a win over Fabian Maidana in May 2024. He was then elevated to full champion after then-undisputed champ Terence Crawford moved up in weight.
Barrios retained his title in November after battling Abel Ramos to a draw in a bloody war on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card. Barrios’ other most notable fight came in June 2021 when he suffered a TKO loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a very competitive bout.