You couldn’t even call it the best kept secret in boxing. It was obvious. At 46 years old, Manny Pacquiao is coming back. He’ll challenge WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After training quietly with Freddie Roach at Wild Card Gym, Pacquiao made it official: “I’m back,” he wrote on social media, adding, “Let’s make history!”
Pacquiao trains, critics howl, Roach returns
Pacquiao will break his own record as the oldest welterweight champ ever if he pulls it off. Barrios is 30 and in his prime. Most people say Manny’s cooked. But footage from the gym shows he still has the speed, and the old man’s in shape. That’s never been his issue. He never let himself go. He’s still lean, still fast—on camera, at least.
Roach is back in the corner. That’s either a good sign—or a desperation move to recapture the past. Let’s be honest: this comeback is all about the money. After burning through millions on his failed presidential run and giving away bags of cash over the years, Pacquiao is said to be flat broke. Now he’s risking what’s left of his health in a fight almost nobody asked for, and plenty are begging not to happen.
MGM Grand booked for history or horror?
The venue has changed. Barrios-Pacquiao was first slated for T-Mobile Arena but got bumped by Lady Gaga. Now it lands at the MGM Grand—where Pacquiao made his U.S. debut in 2001. Cute trivia, but it means nothing today. The Manny of 2001 would destroy the Manny of 2024.
Whether you think this is brave or reckless, the comeback is on. Even Bob Arum—who let him go years ago—is said to be hoping he wins. But hope doesn’t mean much when you’re 46, four years inactive, and stepping in against a strong, active champion.
For better or worse, he’s back.
