Manny Pacquiao is on the verge of making a sensational return to boxing.
The 46-year-old Filipino icon will lock horns with reigning WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday July 19.
Pacquiao has not fought as a professional since he was comprehensively outpointed by former WBA world welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas four years ago, going on to draw the curtain on his professional career shortly after.
He did make a brief transition into the exhibition side of the sport however, facing mixed martial artists DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
As he prepares to potentially defy the odds once again and become a world champion, Pacquiao has sent a message out to reigning WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, telling Seconds Out that he is not scared to fight anybody.
“I can fight anybody, even like Gervonta Davis … I’m not scared of anybody.”
The 46-year-old’s promoter Sean Gibbons then backed up these claims in an interview with World Boxing News, claiming a showdown with Davis would be a ‘dream fight’ for Pacquiao.
“When he beats Mario Barrios, line them up. His dream fight is Gervonta Davis. He loves that fight. He tried to get that fight for a couple of years. Gervonta kept talking about how he didn’t want to fight him at 145. Then he goes and gets smoked by Lamont Roach. So Manny Pacquiao can get this belt, and it’s going to be a wonderful ride out.”
Victory over Barrios would see ‘PacMan’ become the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history, breaking the record that he set himself back in 2019 when he defeated former WBA champion Keith Thurman.
