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Manny Pacquiao Announces Decision On His Boxing Career

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 12:40 PM ET

It's been nearly four years since boxing icon Manny Pacquiao's last pro boxing match and now over 10 years since his fight with Floyd Mayweather. With a fight against Mario Barrios this weekend, is the 46-year-old boxing star ready to hang up the gloves afterwards?

Not yet, as it turns out. Quite the opposite, judging by his recent comments.

Ahead of his fight with Barrios in Las Vegas, Pacquiao told TMZ that not only is he ready to keep boxing, he feels as good now as he was in his 20s. He made it clear that boxing remains his passion and he's excited for the fight.

"I feel excited!" Pacquiao said. "I mean, I'm still feeling like when I was [in my] 20s, late 20s, like still the same. Because boxing is my passion."

Pacquiao has spent the last several years in politics. He served as Senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and ran for President in 2022. Earlier this year he tried to make a comeback in national politics, but lost his election.

Even though he's been away from the inside of a ring for a while, his opponent isn't taking him lightly.

Mario Barrios made it clear that he's ready for Pacquiao in his own interview with TMZ. To that end, he's been preparing for the fight as though he's fighting a younger version of Pacquiao with the expectation that Pacquiao will be fighting with more intensity.

"He's definitely an opponent, you know, that I'm not taking lightly. I know he's coming into the fight ready and looking through whatever he can to try and capture another world title," Barrios said.

"We're preparing as if we're fighting a prime Pacquiao. We have to just expect the best version of him that we've seen in the past."

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 09: Manny Pacquiao celebrates after defeating Timothy Bradley Jr. by unanimous decision in their welterweight championship fight on April 9, 2016 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It's easy to understand why Barrios is so cautious. Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers of all-time.

Pacquiao is the only boxer in history with world championships across eight different divisions and 12 different weight classes. At the age of 40, he defeated Keith Thurman to become the oldest welterweight champion in history.

This next fight will be for the WBC Welterweight Championship.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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