A boxing promoter has been left very confused at the WBC’s decision to allow Manny Pacquiao to box for their world championship.
Manny Pacquiao hung up his gloves and retired from boxing after losing his world title to Yordenis Ugas back in 2021.
Pacquiao walked away from the sport as boxing’s only eight-weight world champion and one of the best fighters to ever do it.
Now after three years away, the boxing legend has hinted at a return to the ring to face a current world champion.
The WBC added to speculation by approving Pacquiao as a challenger and it has left one boxing promoter baffled by the decision.
Eddie Hearn questions WBC’s decision to allow Manny Pacquiao to challenge for world title
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has questioned the WBC’s decision to allow Pacquiao to face Mario Barrios for the world title.
Barrios may not be seen as an elite world champion but is still a dangerous fight for the now 45-year-old to take.
Hearn believes that although the boxing legend has earned the right to do as he pleases, he has questioned if he is good enough to compete with the fighters of today.
Hearn told The Stomping Ground: “Manny [Pacquiao] is well within his rights to fight.
“Sometimes they go on about Manny Pacquiao like he’s this guy who all of a sudden can’t lace up a pair of gloves.
“He is not the fighter he once was of course. But is he good enough? Has he earnt the right?”
He continued: “I guess he’s earnt the right to do whatever he wants, but has he earnt the right to box for the WBC world title? I don’t know.
“Look Mario Barrios is not [Jaron] ‘Boots’ Ennis, so it’s not as brutal maybe to watch.”
Eddie Hearn believes Conor Benn should be fighting Mario Barrios
Hearn believes that if his fighter Conor Benn hadn’t been banned for taking performance-enhancing drugs it would be him in the ring with Barrios.
Benn was one of the leading challengers in the welterweight division before his drug ban two years ago.
Hearn told The Stomping Ground: “If he wasn’t banned [Conor Benn] would have fought for the world welterweight title, in all honesty.
“When the suspension was lifted, the Barrios fight wasn’t quite there because really we need to do that fight in the UK.
“But once it’s resolved with UK Anti Doping and we get that date, maybe Barrios is a fight that we look for.”