Manny Pacquiao will make a controversial return to the ring this July, setting out to break his own record as the sport’s oldest welterweight world champion when he faces Mario Barrios.
Pacquiao’s career is in the history books on many grounds, not least the conquering of multiple divisions. Another reason is the thrillers he was involved in, which includes a rivalry with Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez.
Their first three meetings, spanning nearly a decade, had razor-thin margins, controversial scoring and elite level boxing. After drawing the first bout, Pacquiao won the second and third on points.
The fourth instalment on December 8, 2012 at the MGM Grand was billed as the final chapter. Few predicted the exclamation mark Marquez would produce. After a back-and-forth war that saw both men hit the canvas – Pacquiao down in the third, Marquez in the fifth – it was the Mexican legend who would find the fight-ending shot.
With just a second left in the sixth, Marquez timed a thunderous counter right hand that caught Pacquiao lunging forward. The Filipino icon was rendered unconscious before he hit the canvas face first, a moment that immediately entered the annals of the sport as one of its most devastating knockouts.
Pacquiao had 11 more fights – including the biggest of all time against Floyd Mayweather – before retiring in 2021 off the back of a bruising loss against Yordenis Ugas. This month, he announced he would challenge Barrios for the belt, leading to many in the sport to criticise both his decision to fight at 46 as well as the WBC for sanctioning such a title fight.
Speaking to Pro Box TV, Marquez – who retired in 2014 a four-division champion – does not share the same concern others do, urging fans to give his former foe ‘the benefit of the doubt.’
“If Pacquiao feels good, no shoulder, knee, or foot injuries, and he’s perfectly fine — 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.”
