After Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor and Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz headliner, July has been a blessing for boxing. But the action doesn’t stop here. This coming weekend features not one, but two blockbuster fights. In the US, Manny Pacquiao takes on Mario Barrios in a comeback bout sure to make headlines. 

Meanwhile, across the globe, on the same day – July 19, undefeated Oleksandr Usyk returns to the ring in a high-stakes rematch with Daniel Dubois. Amid this stacked fight schedule, Terence Crawford has stirred the conversation, offering his prediction for Pacquiao’s much-anticipated return at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. While appearing in an interview with Boxing Social, Crawford revealed that he is strongly backing ‘PacMan’. And he’s got two reasons why.

“I got Manny. I just think the experience, [and] the power. That is going to take him to a victory,” Crawford said in the interview. Notably, the 46-year-old is returning to the ring nearly four years after his last professional fight against Yordenis Ugas, which he lost. In fact, Pacquiao hasn’t won a fight since 2019 when he edged out Keith Thurman. Not to mention, there’s a glaring 16-year age gap between the Filipino legend and Barrios, who, at 30, is the current WBC welterweight champion.

Regardless, Crawford’s view on the fight seems to have been influenced in the last month or so. Why? Well, in late May, ‘Bud’ appeared in an interview with Sporting News Australia, where his prediction for the fight was slightly different. “Mario Barrios is a great match-up for Manny Pacquiao. And I think at this age, it’s a 50-50 fight for Manny Pacquiao,” Crawford had said. Nevertheless, while there’s no doubt Pacquiao has the experience, does he still have the power?

In his exhibition fight against Rukiya Anpo on July 28 last year, Pacquiao unquestionably struggled. Even if ‘PacMan’ can fix those issues, ‘El Azteca’ also has experience of fighting some tough foes, not to mention, he defeated Pacquiao’s last professional opponent, Yordenis Ugas. Despite the doubts and concerns about Pacquiao’s chances, the Filipino icon seems to have garnered plenty of support from back home.

Former Senator and his wife root for Manny Pacquiao ahead of the Mario Barrios fight

Former Philippines Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla and his wife, Cavite Representative Lani Mercado, showed up at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles to meet Manny Pacquiao ahead of the 46-year-old’s boxing match against Mario Barrios to show their full support. The Revilla family watched Pacquiao in training and was visibly impressed by his form.

Representative Lani took to social media on Saturday to share their excitement and posted several pictures from the gym alongside a message. “We had a chance to visit and watch Manny Pacquiao in one of his practice sessions at the Wild Card Gym. He is in very good shape and ready to fight this coming July 19, 2025. Mabuhay ang Pambansang Kamao!!! 🥊🥊🥊,” she wrote.

Years have passed since his retirement, but it appears Manny Pacquiao continues to rule over everyone’s heart thanks to what he achieved in the past. But will that be enough to overcome all the disadvantages awaiting him on July 19th? Time will reveal. What do you think?