Manny Pacquiao Eyes Sensational Comeback – ‘He Could Fight Until 50’

December 3, 2024

2 months

Manny Pacquiao Eyes Sensational Comeback - 'He Could Fight Until 50'

Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons, has controversially claimed the Filipino could fight until he is 50.

Pacquiao’s last professional fight was in 2021, when he lost against Yordenis Ugas. He retired as an eight-division champion, making him one of the best fighters to have ever graced the sport. Manny will likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Although he lost in the biggest fight of his career against Floyd Mayweather, the Filipino was praised for fighting the best of his era. Since his retirement, Pacquiao has had some exhibitions. He beat DK Yoo via a unanimous decision. He also recently faced off against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo. However, Pacquiao came out second best, as he was outboxed for most of the three rounds.

While there was no official result, it showed that Pacquiao did not have the same skills as he previously had as ‘Father Time’ catches up with everybody. This derailed his potential plans for making a comeback against the WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios. Reports indicated they were in talks for a fight that could have seen Pacquiao become the oldest welterweight champion at 45 had he beaten Barrios. However, the fight never happened, as Barrios faced off against Abel Ramos, which ended in a draw.
Pacquiao defeated Keith Thurman in 2019, making him the oldest welterweight champion at 40. However, the Anpo performance has not dismayed Pacquiao, with Gibbons claiming that the boxer could still return.

Pacquiao’s Promoter

“He’s running for Senate in the Phillippines from February 11 to May 11. If he gets something by January 31, 2025 he’s ready to rumble. I don’t know what’s going to happen after that … With Manny, he could be fighting until he’s 50. Manny didn’t look as good against Anpo because of a lot of things behind the scenes that went into it.

“He didn’t overly prepare for it. He thought he was fighting someone else and it ended up being a bigger guy…I told Manny that the Barrios fight was the perfect fight to make. Things got in the way with certain people in his ear, but that fight is still possible. It could happen in June, July, or August – one last one,” Gibbons said

What’s Next?

Pacquiao has been linked with fights against Amir Khan and Conor Benn. Khan and Pacquiao used to be sparring partners, setting the narrative for a fight. Khan has, however, consistently said that Pacquiao does not want the fight. Benn faced off against Pacquiao in Saudi Arabia this year, with suggestions that talks were underway. However, the boxer has only recently been ‘cleared’ following his failed VADA tests for Clomiphene.

Ben would still need a British Boxing Board of Control license to fight in the UK, meaning his priorities are elsewhere. However, if there is enough money put on the table, the Filipino may be persuaded to have one more fight. However, there is a danger that Pacman will stay in the sport for too long, as a single punch can change a career forever.