HOPE springs eternal for former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, who turns 46 on Dec. 17 but still yearns for a comeback three years since his last professional fight, according to MP promotions chief Sean Gibbons.
“He’s (Pacquiao’s) running for Senate (sic) in the Philippines from February 11 to May 11. If he gets something by January 31, 2025, he’s ready to rumble,” the veteran American promoter and Pacman’s right-hand man told boxingscene.com writer Manouk Akopyan in a story posted on the ring website yesterday.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen after that … With Manny, he could be fighting until he’s 50,” he added.
Boasting a record of 62 wins, 39 by knockout, eight losses and two draws, Pacquiao has not fought since losing his World Boxing Association super welterweight crown to underrated Cuban Yordenis Ugas, who counterpunched his way to a convincing unanimous decision triumph on Dec. 8, 2021 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Looking a step slow, the Pinoy ring icon emerged badly battered and bruised before a stunned predominantly Pacquiao crowd that had expected him to prevail before plunging into his presidential bid in the 2022 polls.
After that, Pacquiao made several attempts at a ring return, the last against American World Boxing Council welterweight king Mario Barrios.
But his lackluster performance in an exhibition match against Japanese kickboxing champ Rukiya Anpo, who scored telling blows and threw the popular Filipino fighter around, last July in Saitama, Japan prompted Barrios to have second thoughts about the match.
Barrios opted to stake his crown against compatriot Abel Ramos instead, retaining his belt by a close split decision win last Nov. 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“Manny didn’t look as good against Anpo because of a lot of things behind the scenes that went into it,” Gibbons acknowledged. “He didn’t overly prepare for it. He thought he was fighting someone else and it ended up being a bigger guy.
“He felt great. What else can you do? It was an exhibition. He was there just to move around. The other guy thought it was a real fight. He came to make a name off of Manny…”
But Gibbons was optimistic that with the proper negotiations, Pacquiao could still face Barrios sometime next year.
“I told Manny that the Barrios fight was the perfect fight to make. Things got in the way with certain people in his ear, but that fight is still possible. It could happen in June, July, or August – one last one,” Gibbons said.
