Boxing’s only eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, is reportedly coming out of nearly four years of retirement from professional boxing to square off against Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on July 19 in Las Vegas. In the meantime, concerns about his well-being have sent his fans into a state of worry, as the 46-year-old puts it all on the line. 

‘Pac-Man’ last stepped into the ring in August 2021, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. Since then, he has taken part in a couple of exhibition bouts—first against DK Yoo, and more recently against Rukiya Anpo. The latter performance raised eyebrows among fans, as Pacquiao appeared noticeably off his usual form, sparking fresh concerns about his sharpness.

In light of all this, combat sport commentator Ariel Helwani weighed in on Pacquiao’s upcoming fight, expressing concern about the 46-year-old’s return to the ring and emphasizing the risks involved at this stage of his career. Speaking on the Ariel X Ade show, Helwani openly questioned what the worst-case scenario could look like. “Someone gets seriously hurt. Someone has life-altering injuries, and that can happen in boxing. We’ve seen this,” he noted.

He claimed Pacquiao hasn’t been “immune” from getting dropped in his fights, adding, “He’s not Floyd, who has hardly been hit. He’s been knocked out cold.” Helwani especially brought up Pacquiao’s 2012 KO loss against Juan Manuel Marquez, adding, “I thought when he got knocked out by Marquez, I thought he died. It was that scary. Remember that one? I do.” Since Barrios is 29 years old and right at the top of his physical prime, a well-timed shot could prove disastrous for a veteran like Pacquiao.

Since the fight hasn’t been officially announced yet, Helwani noted that he would be both surprised and disappointed if it were sanctioned in Nevada or California. It’s worth mentioning that Pacquiao had been deeply involved in his political career in the Philippines, serving as a senator and even launching a presidential campaign, which ultimately fell short, leading many to believe he might never return to the ring.

Still, this situation mirrors the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight from November last year, which also featured a comeback narrative. The key difference now is that the WBC has placed Pacquiao in their top five rankings, turning this potential bout into a sanctioned title fight. Regardless, Helwani isn’t the only one worried for the boxing veteran.

Top boxing trainer conveys concern over Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight

Top boxing trainer Robert Garcia has expressed serious concern over Manny Pacquiao’s return to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios later this summer. Speaking to BoxingScene on May 14, Garcia said, “I think we’re going to be worried about what happens in that fight.” Garcia criticized Manny’s last performance, hoping he can produce something better against Barrios. 

“Barrios is young, Barrios is a strong guy that could actually hurt Manny. Manny didn’t look good in his last performance… it was kind of embarrassing to see Manny end up like that.” At 46 years old, Pacquiao’s comeback has drawn widespread criticism, with many questioning whether he can still compete at the elite level. Garcia added, “Hopefully he gets in really good shape… but I don’t see things going right with Manny at this point anymore.”

That said, clearly, the experts don’t want Manny Pacquiao to take this fight. However, from the looks of things, the fight will happen as planned. However, do you think there’s anything to worry about?