Manny Pacquiao is officially back in boxing. The 46-year-old legend is not only gearing up for his WBC welterweight clash against Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, but he’s also keeping an eye on potential matchups beyond that. With names like Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, and Ryan Garcia floating around, the road ahead could be exciting, assuming Pacquiao chooses to keep going after this bout.

While some critics have called his comeback a reckless gamble, or even unrealistic, given his underwhelming showing against Yordenis Ugas, it seemed PacMan himself had accepted it was time to step away when he retired. But now that he’s back, the tide is turning. Support for the Filipino icon is growing by the day, thanks to his workout clips. And Pacquiao isn’t just hearing the critics, he’s firing back, ready to silence the doubters with his fists.

Yesterday, Manny Pacquiao shared an Instagram story with a fiery five-word statement: “Age is just a number.” In the original post, he added, “I didn’t come here for respect, I came to earn it the hard way on JULY 19! 👊🏽” The video showed the 46-year-old Filipino legend training at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, running alongside a group of people and doing a variety of core-strengthening crunches. “We’re not done yet,” Manny Pacquiao declared. The footage then cuts to him back in the gym, working on speed drills under the watchful eye of his longtime trainer, Freddie Roach.

And in case you didn’t know, also spotted at Griffith Park was Teofimo Lopez, who joined Manny Pacquiao for a brief training session. Before his own workout, Lopez was asked about Pacquiao’s return to the ring at age 46. “What Manny Pacquiao is doing at this age, that’s different,” Lopez said. When pressed for specifics, whether it was Pacquiao’s speed, strength, or conditioning, the two-division world champion offered a sharp and clear response, even issuing a subtle warning to Mario Barrios. “High spirits, energized, motivated, determined. And I look forward to seeing him raise his hands again, become world champion once again,” Lopez added.

But while Lopez was clearly impressed, Mario Barrios remains unfazed by the legend standing across from him on July 19. The WBC welterweight champion shrugged off the hype surrounding Manny Pacquiao’s comeback with a blunt verdict, making it clear he’s not intimidated by the Filipino icon’s reputation.

With all due respect… Manny Pacquiao is just another man 

While Mario Barrios acknowledged the magnitude of facing a legend like Manny Pacquiao, he made it clear he’s not intimidated. “Originally getting the fight, I was pretty blown away,” Barrios admitted. “But you know during training camp and everything I’m not training with the mentality that I am getting ready to fight an icon fight a legend. At the end of the day, he’s just another man trying to fight for my title.” While the 30-year-old considers it an honor to share the ring with Manny Pacquiao, Barrios insists that sentiment won’t soften his approach, especially with his belt on the line.

Barrios spoke respectfully of Pacquiao’s legacy but emphasized that mutual admiration will mean nothing once the bell rings. “I respect everything he has done in the sport, even the person he is outside the ring,” he said. “All the respect it’s going to be there like it’s all smiles between both of us for right now. But I know, come fight night, we are both going there with bad intentions. He’s going trying to take my title and I got to do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t.”

Meanwhile, as Manny Pacquiao attempts to make history by becoming the oldest welterweight champion, surpassing his own previous record, his return has stirred concern within the boxing world. At 46, questions about his health and ability to endure another war inside the ring continue to surface. Still, Manny Pacquiao seems unfazed, doubling down on his confidence with each post. But do you think Manny Pacquiao is biting off more than he can chew?