“I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao. Goodbye boxing,” an emotional Manny Pacquiao stated in a video back in September 2021, a month after his loss to Yordenis Ugas. Even when the final bell rang after the Ugas bout, Pacquiao knew that it would be his last time hearing it. Thus, he bravely announced his retirement at the age of 42. Everyone thought that that was it. But, fans could hardly have imagined that the eight-division champion would return to the ring at 46 after the emotional departure.

Though Pacquiao has stayed active through boxing exhibitions and in his role as a senator, no one would have thought he would come back to fight a young and hungry Mario Barrios, that too for a WBC welterweight title bout. 46 is not a young age for boxers to be considering a title fight, but then again, Manny Pacquiao is not your typical boxer. Even boxers are skeptical about his decision, though Terence Crawford, the WBA light middleweight champion, is none too concerned about Pacquiao making a return in his late forties.

Bud Crawford, who was on the ringside for the Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull bout, after the fight, was approached by reporters wanting to know more about his fight with the Mexican superstar in September. That is when he was asked for his thoughts on the Filipino legend re-entering the ring to fight Barrios, and if Pacquiao was too old for that. To that, Crawford responded neutrally, “I don’t know, we shall see, I don’t know.”

But he wasn’t done. When asked if PacMan was too old for boxing now, Terence Crawford, giving Pacquiao his due, added, “I can’t say if he’s too old or not, you know. If he gets in there and wins then everybody will be saying differently. So I don’t put no limit on an all-time-great like Manny Pacquiao.”

Seemingly, Crawford was being realistic. He knows that boxing is not a sport of talking, it’s about doing. If a fighter performs exceptionally in the ring, he wins. If not, he doesn’t. Regardless, Pacquiao is set on his course of wanting to make history. But why is he so determined with this?

Manny Pacquiao’s sentimental yearning behind the Mario Barrios fight

Pacquiao could’ve chosen to fight anyone if he wanted the feel of boxing back, but why Barrios? Well, he has a strong reason to. Just day before yesterday, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed that the southpaw fighter would face the 29-2 boxer in July this year.

Speaking to Boxing King Media, the WBC president said, “At this time, Mario Barrios is going to fight Manny Pacquiao in July. That’s a tremendous fight. Manny Pacquiao’s first [world] title was at flyweight, with the WBC. And [now] he wants to retire as the WBC champion, so he’s fighting in the welterweight division.” But is that even allowed, considering Manny Pacquiao has not been a ranked contender for almost four years now? “We do have that provision in the rules. A legendary champion with the credentials of Pacquiao [can fight],” Sulaiman added.

That explains Manny Pacquiao’s willingness to take up all that risk. Meanwhile, way before the fight’s confirmation, last year, Pacquiao had told ESPN about his confidence and capabilities of hanging out with boxing’s fresh blood. “I made history at 40 beating Keith Thurman, and I feel at 45, I have a lot left in the game as I haven’t taken a lot of punishment over the last few years,” he said.

Therefore, for now, Manny Pacquiao’s fight is on, and soon, once the negotiations are done, the official dates can be announced too. Are you excited for it? Or do you think it’s a bad idea for a boxer in his 40s to return to the ring?