Manny Pacquiao will make a sensational return to boxing next month.
The 46-year-old Filipino great will face reigning WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios on Saturday July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pacquiao drew the curtain on his professional career back in 2021, shortly after he was defeated by former WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas, but the eight division world champion made comebacks in 2022 and 2024 respectively to face DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo in exhibition contests.
One man who is all too familiar with ‘PacMan’ is retired Mexican star Juan Manuel Marquez, who shared the ring with the Filipino icon on four occasions throughout his professional career and is the last man to stop Pacquiao when he knocked him out in their last encounter back in 2012.
Speaking to Pro Box TV, Marquez gave an honest verdict on his former rival’s shock comeback to the sport, where he suggests ‘PacMan’ will have to rely on his power but that ‘power stays’.
“If Pacquiao feels good, no shoulder, knee, or foot injuries, and he’s perfectly fine then let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see what kind of fight he has to put up against Mario Barrios.
Will he be aggressive? Will he rely on his power? Because power is the last thing a fighter loses. Let’s give the benefit of the doubt to a historic fighter.
What matters is the integrity of the fighter. Pacquiao still hits hard. Let’s see how Barrios handles that.
Remember, power doesn’t go away. You might lose reflexes, rhythm, speed, but the power stays. When you’re a disciplined fighter and Pacquiao is, he trains, he prepares, he’s coming in to win and to knock him out.”
Should Pacquiao be victorious next month, he would become the oldest world welterweight champion in history, breaking the record that he actually set himself back in 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman to become WBA welterweight champion at 40-years-old.
