Main: Manny Pacquiao in the ring during his fight with Keith Thurman. Inset: Jake Paul appears on stage at the ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of his fight against Mike Tyson. Credit: Steve Marcus & Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Manny Pacquiao once had a strong response when asked if he would ever fight Jake Paul

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 1:12 AM ET

Years before Julio Cesar Chavez Jr agreed to become Jake Paul’s latest opponent, Manny Pacquiao firmly laid out where he stands on fighting ‘The Problem Child’.

Paul vs. Chavez Jr will headline an event at Anaheim’s Honda Center on June 28, as the YouTuber-turned-boxer returns to DAZN pay-per-view after being one half of Netflix’s combat sports debut.

Last November, Paul defeated Mike Tyson in a controversial fight that saw the Cleveland native come under fire for facing a 58-year-old who hadn’t fought professionally in two decades.

That bout was strong ammunition for Paul’s critics, who have long pushed back on the 28-year-old’s habit of fighting ageing, past-their-prime veterans of both boxing and MMA.

Chavez Jr marks the latest in that category, but another was quick to shut down the possibility of joining the list four years ago.

ALMOST TIME pic.twitter.com/sX5AugWaQD
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 26, 2025

Manny Pacquiao dismissed fighting Jake Paul because his legacy would not be improved

As Paul broke onto the boxing scene in 2021 with victories over ex-UFC stars Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, he began to be linked to big-money fights against the boxing stars of old.

Among the names thrown around was Manny Pacquiao, widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time after becoming the first and only eight-division world champion.

His name would no doubt be a big scalp on Paul’s boxing résumé, but Pacquiao rejected the possibility of him even giving ‘The Problem Child’ a chance at finding success against him in the ring.

“No, I will not (fight Paul). I will not,” Pacquiao told TMZ in 2021.

“I want to fight the best to add on to my legacy.”

Manny Pacquiao has fought in exhibitions since shutting down Jake Paul bout

It remains to be seen whether Pacquiao is still totally disinterested in a future clash with Paul, especially given his willingness to entertain exhibition bouts in the years since he made those remarks.

In 2022, a year after Pacquiao lost to Yordenis Ugas in his return to action for the first time since 2019, ‘PacMan’ competed in an exhibition contest against South Korean martial artist DK Yoo and won by unanimous decision.

Just last year, the Filipino legend was announced to be fighting Japanese kickboxer and MMA fighter Chihiro Suzuki in Rizin. With Suzuki withdrawing, Pacquiao instead fought to a draw against K1 kickboxing champion Rukiya Anpo.

Rather than continuing in the lucrative crossover and exhibition business like his ex-rival Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao will be returning to professional action.

The 46-year-old is ending his nearly four-year retirement to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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