Manny Pacquiao, the boxing icon, is set to come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.
This Pay-per-View event is scheduled for July 19 and will feature two contenders vying for the WBC Welterweight Championship, as reported by ESPN on Thursday.
The 46-year-old Pacquiao has remained connected to the sport in various ways, but this marks the end of his nearly four-year retirement.
There have been whispers about his potential return since late last year.
According to ESPN, the upcoming matches will be broadcast on PBC via Prime Video Pay-Per-View.
His last match was a tough one in August 2021, where he lost to Jordenis Ugas in a unanimous decision for the WBA welterweight title.
After that fight, Pacquiao decided to hang up his gloves and concentrate more on his political ambitions.
He served as a senator in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and is currently engaged in a close race for another Senate term.
It’s been indicated by Branch Boxing that he won’t formally announce his boxing return until after the May 12 elections, yet all signs point to his comeback.
WBC President Mauricio Suleiman mentioned to Boxing King Media that Barrios views facing Pacquiao in July as a “risky battle.”
“Pacquiao is fighting in the welterweight category because he aims to retire as a WBC champion,” Suleiman explained during a recent event in Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, reports suggest that Pacquiao has already received an exemption from the Nevada Athletic Board to fight.
In early December, he was chosen for the 2025 International Boxing Hall of Fame class, with an official induction set for June.
“I am humbled to learn that I will be joining national hero Flash Elorde and my trainer Freddie Roach in receiving the highest honors in boxing,” he remarked at the time.
