'Rested' Pacquiao relishing July's world welterweight comeback at 46

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao shrugged off concerns about his decision to return to boxing at the age of 46 as he prepares for next month's world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.

The charismatic Filipino boxing icon stunned the sports world last month after announcing he would take on World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas, four years after his last fight ended in a disappointing defeat.

Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, said that the glamour of championship boxing had prompted his return.

"I'm returning because I miss my boxing," Pacquiao said at a news conference in Los Angeles. "Especially these situations — being interviewed, news conference, training camp, everything like that.

"I missed that. But it has been good for me — I've rested my body for four years. And now I come back."

Pacquiao said that he had been left devastated following his decision to retire in the wake of his loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.

"I always thought, even when I hung up my gloves, 'I can still fight, I can still feel my body, I can still work hard,'" Pacquiao said.

"That moment when I announced hanging up my gloves four years ago — I was so sad. I was crying, I cannot stop the tears coming out my eyes."

Pacquiao, though, revealed that working out at his home in the Philippines persuaded him he still has the fitness and strength to fight.

"I realized when I'm playing basketball, training at the gym of my house — I have complete sport facilities in my house — that I still have that passion. I still have that speed and power," he said.

'Low-risk' comeback

Some in boxing have expressed concerns about whether Pacquiao's comeback against Barrios, who is 16 years his junior, represents a risk to the Filipino's safety.

Addressing those concerns, Pacquiao noted that his family and loved ones were firmly behind his comeback.

"I'm thankful for them for their concern," Pacquiao said. "But the people who really concern me, is my family. My family saw how I move, saw how I train, saw my body condition. They support me because they can see the old Pacquiao style."

Pacquiao, who has reunited with veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month's fight, is able to challenge immediately for a title due to a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a title fight when coming out of retirement.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said that Pacquiao had been cleared to return to the ring by the Nevada Athletic Commission after undergoing medical exams, describing the fighter's comeback as "low risk".

"Manny Pacquiao is at no higher risk than any fighter going into the ring," Sulaiman said.

"Manny has rested his body for four years. He's not a drinker. He's not a drug user. He's a family man that has taken care of himself. So of the different aspects of dangers, he's at the lowest risk."

Pacquiao's opponent, Barrios, said he would set aside the Filipino's status as one of the most beloved fighters of his era.

"There's nothing but good things to say about him outside the ring," Barrios said of Pacquiao. "He's a hard guy to dislike. But at the end of the day, you know it's kill or be killed.

"And I know if at any point he has me hurt, you know he's going to get me out of there. So I just have to go in there and make sure that my hand is raised at the end of the fight."

AFP