Manny Pacquiao is set to come out of retirement to slug it out with Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19th in Las Vegas.
He retired in 2021 with 62 wins, eight losses, and two draws in 72 bouts.
He also won world championships in a record eight weight divisions, from flyweight to super welterweight.
It will be his first professional fight in nearly four years.
Pacquiao’s last professional win was a split decision over Keith Thurman in July 2019, where he won the WBA welterweight title by split decision. The WBA later stripped him of the title due to inactivity.
In 2001, after an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the WBA welterweight title against Yordenis Ugás, which he lost via unanimous decision, he announced his retirement.
In retirement, he has faced martial artist DK Yoo and kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in exhibitions.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed that the fight will take place in July on X.
He wrote: “At this time, Mario Barrios is going to face Manny Pacquiao in July. That’s a tremendous fight.”
Pacquiao ventured into politics in his native Philippines, serving as a senator from 2016 to 2022. He ran for president during his final year in office, finishing third.
He is currently running for Senate again, with the election for the race coming up on May 12.
Meanwhile, Barrios will make his fourth ring appearance since winning the WBC welterweight gold in 2023. He has only lost once out of 32 bouts.
He won the interim WBC welterweight belt from Yordenis Ugás in September 2023.
Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win major world titles in eight weight classes and retired as a twelve-time world champion.
He will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8 ,one month before his return to boxing for the clash against Barrios.
