Pacquiao In Talks To Fight Barrios For WBC Welterweight Title
Manny Pacquiao is in “serious negotiations” to fight Mario Barrios for the WBC Welterweight Title.
The title is up for grabs after Terence Crawford became the Champion in Recess. Bud has moved up to 154 pounds as he will box Israil Madrimov for his WBA Belt on August 3. Barrios is the current interim champion as he chases his first world title. Manny has not had a professional fight since losing to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. Barrios beat Ugas to win the interim belt. Barrios will likely get elevated to a full champion. His last fight was a unanimous decision victory against Fabian Maidana.
Since his retirement, Manny had an exhibition against DK Yoo, beating him in a unanimous decision. Since then, he has been linked with numerous fights. A bout against Muay Thai fighter Buakaw Banchamek was set for April. However, that has now been postponed as fans wait for a date. Pacman also stated that he was having a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao’s Return
“Yeah, thank you so much for inviting me here again. I’m sorry for the last time that we promised that we’re going to fight this year. Next year I’m going to see you in Japan, again big fight against- Floyd Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather, yeah. I thought that you didn’t want me to say that. But I am excited about that. Thank you for always supporting Rizin and Sakakibara,” Manny revealed
The Filipino made the announcement at a RIZN 45 event last year. However, Mayweather’s subsequent comments suggested that this was not happening. Eddie Hearn also revealed that talks over a Conor Benn fight were taking place.
“We’re talking. This is a fight I love between one of the legends of the sport against one of the biggest young lions at 147 lbs. If we can make this fight, we’d be very happy out here in Saudi Arabia or at Wembley Stadium. We’ll see, but we’re talking. I love the match-up. Idols become rivals. This is a great fight and we’ll see what happens,” Hearn said
However, since Benn cannot fight in the UK due to his two failed VADA tests for Clomiphene, even a fight in the US may not sell. But Sean Gibbons (Chairman Of Manny Pacquiao Promotions) stated that Manny was looking for a comeback this year.
Pacquiao vs. Barrios
“Manny Pacquiao is still chasing history. He is looking at one more big fight in 2024. Manny made history at 40 years old when he beat Keith Thurman to win the WBA 147-pound world title. He became the oldest fighter ever to do it. He would love a shot at the welterweight title before calling it a career,” Sean Gibbons (Chairman Of Manny Pacquiao Promotions) said
Now, the Barrios fight is being targeted for September. The venue being mentioned is the MGM Grand or the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Barrios is a former WBA champion at 140. However, he was knocked out by Gervonta Davis to lose that belt. He also suffered a loss against Keith Thurman in 2021, someone Manny has already beaten. While Barrios has improved since then, this will be his biggest fight, even if Manny is 45.
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