Manny Pacquiao is just weeks away from making a sensational return to boxing.
The 46-year-old Filipino icon will face reigning WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios on Saturday July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
It will be Pacquiao’s first professional ring appearance in four years after his last outing came against former WBA world welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas, who defeated ‘PacMan’ via unanimous decision in June 2021.
Pacquiao has had two exhibition contests since he called time on his professional career however, facing DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
Speaking to Sporting News Australia, pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford believes that even at 46 Pacquiao has a great chance of beating Barrios, labelling the fight a ’50-50′ contest.
“Mario Barrios is a great match-up for Manny Pacquiao, and I think at this age it’s a 50-50 fight for Manny Pacquiao.”
Should he be victorious against Barrios, Pacquiao would break his own record of being the oldest world welterweight champion in boxing history, which he achieved after he defeated Keith Thurman in 2019 to capture the WBA world welterweight title when he was 40-years-old.
‘PacMan’ has rekindled a partnership with legendary trainer Freddie Roach, who coached the Filipino great in 34 fights over a 16-year period, before they went their separate ways back in 2018 ahead of his showdown with Lucas Matthysse which he won via seventh round stoppage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As for Crawford, his attention now turns to the biggest test of his career as he steps up two weight divisions to take on undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in September.
