Manny Pacquiao is just one month away from his remarkable return to the sport.
Pacquiao will compete professionally for the first time in nearly four years when he challenges Mario Barrios for his WBC welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 19.
It sees the Filipino boxing legend looking to become the oldest welterweight world champion at the age of 46, having set the record himself when he beat WBA champion Keith Thurman at the age of 40 back in 2019.
The return of ‘Pac-Man’ has been met with some criticism from a selection of fans, who have concerns over seeing the boxing icon potentially get hurt, but Pacquiao has dismissed any fears, claiming ‘not to worry’ over the clash with Barrios.
Ahead of that bout, Pacquiao has revealed there is one man he regrets facing a few years earlier, having shared the ring with some of the sport’s greatest names over the course of his legendary career.
Speaking to Business Insider, Pacquiao explained why he shouldn’t have taken on long-term rival Floyd Mayweather when he did.
“If I could change one thing in my career, I’d have asked to postpone my 2015 fight against Floyd Mayweather after hurting my shoulder in training.
I thought it was going to be okay and that I’d be feeling better without an operation after suffering that injury two weeks before the fight.
But my injury worsened after the third round. Pushing for that important fight to happen as scheduled is my biggest regret.”
After being linked to a fight with one another for close to a decade, Pacquiao and Mayweather finally met back in May 2015. It is a fight that commercially is the biggest ever, but inside the ring the action didn’t deliver, as Mayweather claimed a comfortable unanimous decision win.
