Who would’ve thought that a return of a 46-year-old legend, absent from the ring for 4 years, would raise such a storm? Well, almost everyone. Ever since the WBC president announced the comeback bout of Manny Pacquiao against Mario Barrios for the welterweight title, there have been questions.

Setting aside the controversy, most questions center around PacMan‘s conditioning. Will he be in good enough shape to go for 12 complete rounds? If he is successful, what will be the future of the sport? Well, we got a glimpse of that when Roy Jones Jr predicted the upcoming July 19th bout while also teasing his own comeback.

Roy Jones Jr. is planning his own return!

On Sunday, the International Boxing Hall of Fame inducted Manny Pacquiao into the class of 2025, alongside Michael Nun, Mary Jo Sanders, Vinny Paz, Rodrigo Valdés, Yessica Chávez, Cathy Davies, and Anne Sophie Mathis. As it turns out, Jones Jr. was also in attendance at a meet-and-greet with the fans. During the event, Elie Seckbach of ES News caught up with him and sprang the question immediately.

“Give me your assessment, Pacquiao or Barrios?” Seckbach asked. With a sly grin on his face, Captain Hook replied, “I gotta go with Pacquiao.” Why? According to the former light heavyweight, Pacman is an “old school” fighter. He added, “We fought for the love of the game. I don’t know if he’ll knock him out or not, but we fought for the love of the game, there’s a difference.” 

The Florida native believes that, unlike other legendary returns, money does not motivate the Filipino icon. Furthermore, while he is still questioning whether Pacquiao will win via a knockout or not, he has no doubts regarding his drive. Something which can help him come out on top. With the only eight-division boxing champ making a comeback, fans wondered if more legends would follow suit. Seckbach seized the moment and probed, “Are you coming back, champ?” pressing for answers.

Well, it looks like the discourse was valid as the 56-year-old retired boxer replied, “I don’t know, but if Manny wins,” leaving the door open. Isn’t this what we dreaded most? To see our beloved icons returning as mere shadows of their past self. The recent Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight left fans anxious about Manny Pacquiao meeting a similar fate. However, despite the uncertainty regarding the result, Roy Jones Jr. thinks otherwise.

Manny Pacquiao: Freak of nature

A few weeks ago, Jones Jr. sat down with Prime Casino for an exclusive interview. During the conversation, he backed Manny Pacquiao, assuring the fans that the Filipino icon will be fine. “The fact that Pacquiao can get in shape and go 12 rounds at 46 years old is beating most people right there,” he stated.

According to the 56-year-old, that already puts Pacman in a rare category, even above the young active fighters. “How many people can do that? There’s people that are 26 who can’t hardly go one round, and you’re doing it at 46, double their age,” he added.

Furthermore, despite backing Pacquiao, he thinks Mario Barrios can be a tough challenge. However, that should not take away the fact that this return is heroic, and if the Filipino can pull this off, he’ll etch his name in boxing history as the oldest world champion ever, breaking late George Foreman’s 31-year-old record when he won the WBA and IBF Heavyweight Titles at the age of 45 years and 299 days.

“You got to take your hat off to Manny. I give Manny a chance, you always gotta give him a chance. I’m backing him,” Roy Jones Jr. concluded, supporting his old friend completely. While every single boxing fan would love to see Manny Pacquiao win a world title in his return, it can start a risky trend, inspiring other retired legends to put on their gloves again, which isn’t wise. Not everyone, after all, is the Pacman.

Who is your pick between Pacquiao and Barrios? Let us know your thoughts down below.