Manny Pacquiao‘s future has been heavily debated over the last few years.
‘PacMan’ hasn’t fought since losing his WBA Welterweight World Title to Yordenis Ugas in 2021, but he has been linked with a number of opponents since then.
One of those is WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios, with the bout previously receiving the backing of WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, who was happy to let it go ahead pending medical checks.
Things have hit a snag though after it was announced that Barrios would instead defend his belt next against Abel Ramos, on the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul undercard in November.
It rules out the chance of seeing the fight this year, and could result in it being scrapped altogether due to Pacquiao’s desire to run for Senate in his home country of the Philippines in 2025.
At 45-years-old, Pacquiao isn’t getting any younger, and his advisor Sean Gibbons has told World Boxing News that the bout could be ‘running out of time.’
“Let’s see what happens [with Barrios after his fight]. We are running out of a little time as ‘Sir Manny’ declared his candidacy for the Senate in 2025, so he’s tied up from February to May 11, when the election is.
“But, anything can happen – after. For sure, that’s [the Barrios title chance], but it is still the fight.”
With Barrios competing on the Tyson vs. Paul card next month, Pacquiao will be a keen observer. It’s unclear if the Filipino fighting sensation will consider another opponent.
