Manny Pacquiao‘s boxing comeback is in jeopardy. The Filipino legend’s potential fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios is hitting hurdles and time is running out due to Pacquiao’s political agenda.
At 45, Pacquiao has not stepped into the ring since losing his WBA welterweight world title to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. He is seeking a seat in the Philippine Senate, where elections are due in 2025. The campaign begins in February and runs until May 11, leaving a narrow window for a possible fight.
Barrios, the reigning WBC welterweight champion, was tipped to be a key opponent for Pacquiao’s return. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman even supported the idea, provided Pacquiao passes the medical tests. But there’s a catch: Barrios will defend his title against Abel Ramos as part of the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight in November.
This scheduling conflict put a damper on the whole thing. This means that a showdown between Pacquiao and Barrios is no longer possible this year and the idea could even be dropped entirely.
Sean Gibbons, Pacquiao’s agent, shared his thoughts with the media:
“We’ll see what [mit Barrios nach seinem Kampf] happened. We are running out of time as ‘Sir Manny’ has declared his candidacy for the Senate in 2025, so he is tied up from February until May 11th when the election takes place. But anything can happen – after that. Certainly that is [die Titelchance von Barrios]but it’s still the fight.”
For now, Pacquiao will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming fight against Barrios. It is not clear whether he will consider other opponents if the Barrios fight falls through. The clock is ticking on Pacquiao’s comeback, and fans are wondering if they’ll see the boxing icon put on the gloves again.
ESPN reported initial talks for the Pacquiao-Barrios fight while World Boxing News Gibbons’ comments about the time restrictions released for Pacquiao’s return to the ring.
