Hall of Fame boxing legend Manny Pacquiao on June 3, 2025. IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Manny Pacquiao Reveals What He's 'Worried' About Ahead of Mario Barrios Fight

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Johan Alyas Blanco | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 1:51 PM ET

Manny Pacquiao is set to return to the ring for the first time in nearly four years, and at 46 years old, the Hall of Famer understands the risk he is taking.

In an interview with BBC, Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) said he has concerns over messing up his legacy if he doesn't fight well against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Despite the concerns, the "PacMan" added that he wouldn't have returned if he wasn't confident in his ability.

"I'm worried for my reputation, but I'm making sure that I'm not a kind of fighter like other fighters that come back but they are not showing what they did before."Pacquiao told BBC

The Filipino icon is set to fight Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) this Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Barrios will be defending the WBC title for the second time, last fighting to a split draw against Abel Ramos on Nov. 15th, 2024. And as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career, the 30-year-old champion understands that there's a 16-year age gap between himself and the legendary challenger.

Despite his age, Pacquiao insists that in his return he wants to remain competitive, and has even entertained the idea of this being more than a one-off. However, his camp will be influential in what happens going forward following July 19th.

"Right now they're very happy with my passion. They're very happy with my training. They're very happy with my speed and power."Pacquiao said to BBC

Although there are many critics ahead of his return, Barrios is considered to be the most favorable matchup among all the champions at welterweight.

Father time is undefeated when it comes to athletes, especially in boxing. Only a rare few, like Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman, are able to find championship success deep into their 40s. But if anybody is able to defy the odds, and add to that legacy, it definitely the only eight-division world champion in boxing history.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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