Filipino great Manny Pacquiao has issued an important update ahead of his return to the ring.
The 47-year-old made a sensational comeback to the sport on July 19 as he fought to a majority decision draw to reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao rolled back the years against the younger man but ultimately fell short in his attempt at breaking his own record of the oldest welterweight champion of all time, a feat he achieved back in 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman.
It has been speculated that ‘PacMan’ could be in line to challenge WBA world welterweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero next, although an official announcement is yet to be made by either party.
Romero defeated Ryan Garcia back in May to win the WBA Regular belt, before he was then elevated to full champion after Jaron Ennis vacated the title.
Speaking to the media recently, Pacquiao revealed that he is set to make his highly-anticipated return to the ring in 2026, although the 47-year-old did not reveal exactly when fans can expect to see him back in action.
“Next year.”
Aside from a potential clash with Barrios, Pacquiao has also hinted that he is in line to face former rival Floyd Mayweather in a rematch of their 2015 ‘Fight of The Century’.
Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision to unify the WBC, WBA and WBO world titles at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, although the fight itself failed to live up to the expectations that had been set prior.
