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Manny Pacquiao’s world title opponent lost to a 27-17-1 journeyman in final fight before return to Africa

Originally posted on Bloody Knockout | By Harvey Burton | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 1:35 PM ET

Manny Pacquiao returned to the ring at the age of 46 and was unlucky not to get a win over Mario Barrios.

Manny Pacquiao has still not secured a win since his 2019 close-shave with Keith Thurman, who is facing Sebastian Fundora next, and has had two unsuccessful comeback attempts, with one ending in a loss and the most recent ending in a draw.

Pacquiao, who could face Rolly Romero next, is now 46, and despite almost defeating a world champion, albeit a weak one, he is still a shell of his former self – the Pac-Man who dismantled Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and more.

It was in 2010, after his win over Cotto, that Pacquiao fought in a truly one-sided bout against a challenger who would go on to lose against a journeyman just years later.

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Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey five years before Clottey’s journeyman loss

Off the back of his win over Cotto, Pacquiao faced 35-3 Joshua Clottey.

Clottey had lost only to Margarito, Carlos Baldomir, and, in the fight before facing Pacquiao, Cotto by split decision. He also held a win over Zab Judah.

Despite winning the IBF world title and barely losing in his WBO bid against Cotto, Clottey was outclassed drastically by Pacquiao, who dragged him to a lopsided unanimous decision loss.

Photo credit should read Chris Cozzone/AFP via Getty Images

Clottey fought for five more years before receiving a clear sign to hang up the gloves.

That sign came in 2015 when he lost by unanimous decision to Gabriel Rosado, a journeyman who Gennady Golovkin brutally beat.

Rosado was 21-9 at the time, but now sits at 27-17-1. Clottey returned in 2019 with two stoppage wins in Accra, Ghana, and has not fought since.

Manny Pacquiao’s win over Joshua Clottey was the start of a dark period for Pac-Man

Though Pacquiao got the win, and in a one-sided fashion, it marked the beginning of a period in Pacquiao’s career where the legend was unable to score any knockout wins.