Manny Pacquiao, now 46 years old, is strongly rumored to return to the ring in July to fight WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios. Pacquiao was last seen in an official fight in 2021, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. He has since fought in an exhibition against Rukiya Anpo, in which he looked slower still. Our staff convened to discuss their complicated thoughts on a boxing legend returning to the ring so far past his prime. 

Owen Lewis: I got into boxing too late to see Pacquiao at his fearsome peak, but old replays of his rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez had a big hand in getting me hooked. I can’t say a bad word about Pacquiao in the ring, how could anyone? But I don’t want to see anyone fighting at 46 years old. 

Nostalgia is lethal. Many boxing fans have a tendency to assume that layoffs and age don’t matter, that the old, retired fighter gets to pick up right where they left off when they left the ring. Millions did it with Mike Tyson, now they’ll do it with Manny. In the coming months, this fight will be discussed and previewed endlessly, and people will ask with straight faces how Pacquiao will look in the ring. Spoiler alert: slow.

I hope Pacquiao stays retired to protect his health, and I also hope Barrios takes on a fellow titleholder instead of a washed-up legend. He’s a vulnerable champion and he knows it; if he isn’t going to defend his title against the best, he should be stripped.

Tris Dixon: Unlike Owen, I covered much of Manny’s pomp from ringside, and I saw him start to plateau against the likes of Brandon Rios, in Macau, and he’d stopped knocking people out since long before he fought Mayweather. He’s also been in several thrillers, had that violent Marquez knockout against him, and looked poor against Ugas last time out – four years ago.

I know Team Pacquiao might not think Barrios is a future Hall of Famer, but the Pacquiao of 2010 is not the Pacquiao of 2025. While the recent passing of George Foreman reminded us that miracles in boxing can happen, the odds are not on his side, neither is Father Time, nor is the form guide. It also is worth exploring at what point does the WBC deem a fighter unworthy of a chance based on age and inactivity? At what point would they not have issued a golden ticket?

Ryan Songalia: I had the pleasure of covering much of Pacquiao’s career. From Las Vegas to Macau to Australia, and even midnight basketball games in Manila. We can talk all day about what we think, but the bottom line is that Manny will do what Manny wants to do. It goes without saying that he has had a career that will never be replicated, and has nothing left to prove. I feel confident in saying that a win over Barrios would add very little to a career that already includes wins over Morales, Barrera, Marquez, De La Hoya, Cotto, you get the picture. I wrote about a decade ago that he needed to start looking for an exit strategy to the sport, because he will eventually take a beating, which is something he hadn’t had the indignity of experiencing. Just as it happened to Duran against Joppy, Leonard against Camacho, Ali against Holmes, it can happen to anyone if they stick around too long. Mario Barrios isn’t a pound for pound type of fighter, but he’s a sturdy fighter who will bring the smoke for 12 rounds. This is a big opportunity to make money for Barrios so who can fault him for taking the opportunity. The question now is, where does it end? If he were to surprise people and beat Barrios, then what, does he go after Boots? When is enough enough?

Kieran Mulvaney: This is a bad idea, and an inevitable consequence of Pacquiao excising people from his inner circle who might say no to him. Pacquiao is going to look worse than a lot of other boxers in their 40s, because his strengths were his speed, timing, and footwork. Gee, what assets does a fighter lose as he or she ages? Barrios is going to beat the brakes off him, and it’s going to reach Holmes-Ali levels of sadness.

Lucas Ketelle: I don’t love the fight, but this is boxing. Business can trump logic (or traditional rankings). It reminds me of Ray Leonard's return to fight Hector Camacho. Pacquiao is one of the greatest fighters I have ever seen, but aging is real. Barrios is a talented, world-class fighter in his prime. Not much more needs to be said. 

Matt Christie: Logic dictates that nobody should be fighting at the age of 46, let alone someone who has clocked up the years of violence Pacquiao has. Ultimately, if he can prove his fitness to a reputable licensing commission, whether or not he fights again is only his decision to make. It’s bothersome that sanctioning bodies, broadcasters and promoters can facilitate world title fights like this and have nobody to answer to. Pacquiao, without a win in six years, has done nothing to merit a shot at a major belt in 2025. If he is set on returning then surely he has to take his place in the queue like everyone else and earn his chance.  

David Greisman: There will be those who criticize Pacquiao – some in earnest, some half-jokingly – for “cherry-picking” Barrios, seen as the most vulnerable of the three welterweight titleholders. That may be true, but this is still a very dangerous fight for Pacquiao because of what we’ve seen from him, and most importantly what we haven’t seen from him – which at first was Pacquiao himself in the ring, and then was any resemblance to the fighter we remembered  Pacquiao wisely retired after his 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas. While Ugas was a good welterweight, the fact is that time had finally caught up with Pacquiao and his ability to do the things he needed to do to win: namely move his feet and hands. You know, two of the most important things. Sure, there’s a possibility that Pacquiao didn’t train seriously for his 2024 exhibition with Rukiya Anpo and his performance suffered as a result. Or it can just be that age and wear and tear have turned Pacquiao into a shadow of himself. I’m not a fan of this fight. I understand why it’s happening. I just hope Pacquiao doesn’t get badly hurt. Aside from him turning back time and scoring the upset, the best scenarios are anywhere on the spectrum between a competitive loss and a short-lived embarrassment.

Tom Ivers: I can see why Pacquiao is doing it. If you could choose anyone to fight for a world title, you’d choose Barrios. He is not a world beater and that’s why I was shocked to see Conor Benn turn down the chance to face him. Barrios will lose that title sooner rather than later, but I really doubt Pacquiao will be the man to do it. At 46 years old he just isn’t what he was. I think the Pacquiao who lost to Ugas could probably beat Barrios, but I expect a much faded version to enter the ring on July 12. The real issue is not Pacquiao wanting to dare to be great – that’s what the greats do – it’s the WBC not just sanctioning the contest, but ranking Pacquiao at No. 5 despite him not winning a professional contest in six years. Pacquiao is actually ranked higher than Abel Ramos, who I felt beat Barrios for the WBC title back in November, but had to settle for a draw.

Elliot Worsell: I don’t really have strong thoughts on the matter, but accept that a rich fighter will always be tempted to make even more money off the back of their name and reputation. Given the extent of Pacquiao’s wealth, it is hard to understand the motivation to return, nor will I offer much sympathy should it all go wrong. That said, if anybody knows the tricks to roll back the years and miraculously fight like a younger man, it’s Pacquiao.

Jason Langendorf: For fighters and fans, there should be no debate. People can do what they want, whether it's a middle-age guy plying his craft or a curious observer willing to pay to watch it. But that's why, ostensibly, boxing has commissions and sanctioning bodies. In reality, of course, Pacquiao's trickle-down earning power figures to earn him an unearned ranking and title shot, and put him in harm's way. He's not helpless, but neither is he a second coming of George Foreman or Bernard Hopkins; he has neither the body type nor style to make up for the degradation of time. The circumstances of a Barrios fight for Pacquiao amount to a severe health hazard that should make it a non-starter for those supposedly responsible for such things.

Declan Warrington: The prospect of the vastly declined Manny Pacquiao fighting Errol Spence filled me with dread in 2019. In 2025, Spence has declined and is someone whose health there are concerns about — how are we talking about Pacquiao in that same way? At least if he'd lost to Spence back then he'd have lost to a young, strong, very good, undefeated welterweight in his prime. Mario Barrios is none of those things. The time for Pacquiao to retire came when he so impressively defeated Keith Thurman that same year. Everything since then is damaging the legacy of an all-time great.